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Klippenziege: New era in the world of gin

In December 2015, four friends captured the ‘spirit’ of an idea: they were thinking about gin. Nearly a year later a small batch was bottled by hand. The individuality of a gin lies in the combination of the botanicals, in this case it is the exotic selection: mate tea, goji berries, physalis and a hint of rose. The Klippenziege is a New Western Dry Gin, in which juniper plays the main role amongst the other botanicals.

It is produced in the Habbel Distillery, which guarantees excellent quality thanks to its experience – it was established in 1878 and is now in the family’s fourth generation. The former Korn distillery in Sprockhövel with adjoining farmland is now the largest fruit distillery in the Ruhr region, as a traditional manufacturer it stands out with its attention to detail. The entire manufacturing process at Klippenziege can also be observed on-site.

The bottle and the label are also special. Designer Levent Aydin drew it carefully by hand, and then digitalised it before perfecting it. First it is printed, then coated, then stamped and embossed. The elegant result stands for friendship, solidarity and love. Working together in a friendly and familiar atmosphere connects people with a passion for life who share one important belief: that the product should encourage people to slow down, allowing for mindful enjoyment.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Mate Dry Gin.

Fallstein Destillerie: Modern traditionalists

“The sustainable handling of our resources and products is more than an alternative attitude to life – it is the pure spirit of the times that our family has been practising for nearly 200 years.” The organic enterprise on a listed farm in Rohrsheim in the Harzvorland region farms around 40 hectares of land in a variety of ways in accordance with natural land principles. Apart from crops and a five-hectare walnut plantation, there are also valuable meadow orchards with old fruit trees and bushes, whose harvest is especially suitable for being processed to distillates. The crops and fruit benefit from favourable climatic conditions and rolling slopes, as well as from the soil quality on the heat-retaining rock and minerals of the elevations between Elm and Harz. The homemade basic ingredients are used for high-quality delicatessen products such as various fruit spreads and edible oils, extracted by means of careful cold pressing – along with a variety of spirits.

Apart from the self-cultivated wheat, the clear water of the Harz springs is a significant component for an excellent mash. The ecologically cultivated botanicals, hand-picked according to family tradition, give the gin its special character during the distillation in a small batch procedure. When finding a name for organic quality whisky, Korn (grain schnapps) and gin, family tradition comes into play: they bear the first names of the founding father Carl Polland through to the youngest offspring Luca, Theo and Tom.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to TOMMYS Dry Gin (30 Botanicals), and silver to TOMMYS Barille New Western Dry Gin (32 Botanicals) and TOMMYS Craft Gin.

Krugmann Markenspirituosen: Tradition meets Zeitgeist

This traditional spirit manufacturer’s roots go all the way back to the century before last. When the Krugmann family founded the distillery on their farm in 1867 it was the first business in Meinerzhagen. Entrepreneurship and commercial spirit united with farm heritage to create something new. For six generations, the company was family-run, and since the mid-1990s it has been run by a management team which meets the changing market with innovative ideas.

The handcrafted art of distilling was always the top priority at Krugmann, building on the knowledge, experi-ence and passion of the distillers trained within the company. In the development of new spirits, tradition meets zeitgeist. Strictly guarded recipes are the foundation for many specialities. These are accompanied by the passion for experimentation to create new taste experiences. The result is a wide range of products with over 200 spirits, which also stand out thanks to their bottle design.

Preserving what has been tried and tested whilst exploring new paths in product development is also re-flected in the new products from the ‘Premium Enjoyment’ series: three barrel-matured Korn specialities and a gin which reflects the company’s skills in having worked with juniper for over 150 years.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Korn Cognac Barrel and Gin 150.