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Edelkorn-Brennerei Jos. Rosche: We are happily distilling for you!

In the oldest town in Emsland, the Rosche family have been using their own grain for the finest distillate to make fine Korn (grain distillates), fruit brandies and liqueurs since 1792. The fine fragrance and the mild taste of wheat and malt are already present during the course of the 36-hour fine distillation process. The best water from Haselünne is added to achieve the desired drinking strength, and then the distillates mature in stoneware or stainless-steel containers. By storing Emsland’s cultural treasure in wooden barrels which previously held brandies or wines, it is united with aromas from around the world: as a single cask edition of ‘Edelkorn Generation 5’ or as ‘Joe’s Best’, every drop is a treat. The latest product is ‘HOPE’ – a London Dry Gin with a light hint of hops.

Since 1986, the company has been directed by Joe Rosche, representing the fifth generation of the family. He is the co-founder of the ‘Bund deutscher Edelkorn-Brenner’ (German Korn distillers) and co-initiator of the ‘protected declaration of origin’ for Haselünner Korn at the EU level. The ‘Korn Academy’ which he founded is an entertaining but educational plant tour. He uses it as a way to create many thousands of fine craft Korn enthusiasts every year. Susanne and Joe are also socio-politically engaged and support worldwide water projects in particular. Climate protection in the region is especially dear to their hearts and they use returnable bottles for the majority of their spirits.

The World Class Distillery 2024 received double gold for de la Roche, gold for Edelkorn Generation 5 matured in a whisky barrel, Rosche Haselünner Korn, Joe’s Best 35 – aged Korn stored in a whisky barrel, Edelkorn Generation 5 matured in a port barrel and Edelkorn Generation 5 matured in a Sauternes barrel, and silver for Hope London Dry Gin and Uralter.

Château du Tariquet - One castle, one family, on history

This family history begins in 1912 with the bear tamer Jean-Pierre Artaude who returned to his homeland in the south-west of France after many years in the USA. He purchased Château Tariquet and took his wife back to France with him at the start of the 1920s. His daughter Hélène and her husband Pierre Grassa (the son of Spanish immigrants who moved to the village of Éauze after being a prisoner of war) rebuilt their parents' property with a great deal of care and diligence and began to produce Bas-Armagnac here. Of their four children, Maïté and Yves continued the family tradition and remained on the estate. In 1972, they established a company here with their father and went on to develop their products and sales even further.

Today, this family company remains independent but has increased its estate to almost 1,000 hectares. The responsibility for the company lies with Maïté and Yves and their sons Armin and Rémy. It was Yves Grassa who decided, along with his sister, to produce white wines here in 1982, going against all tradition to produce a cuvée from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc which is still appreciated today by wine lovers across the world.

In addition to its fresh and fruity Vins de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, the company concentrates its production on Armagnacs with 45% alcohol from the rare Folle Blanche grape variety that is typical of the region. The Baco and Ugni Blanc varieties form the basis for the assemblages with 40% alcohol. Recently, high-quality bottles have come onto the market, such as the XO cask no. 6 (54.9 % vol) which is characterised by its roasted aromas, vanilla notes and well integrated alcohol.

The Armagnac XO und Armagnac VSOP won gold at the World-Spirits Award.

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

Schwarze & Schlichte – Brand personalities from Westphalia

The family business Schwarze & Schlichte from Westphalia has been representing the highest quality spirits for the last 345 years with a distinct range of national specialities, regional traditional brands and successful international innovations. This top quality is based on a distilling tradition acquired over centuries which has been passed down over twelve generations. Even today, distilling and maceration still take place at the company’s own distillery where plenty of time and skill are invested. The selection and processing of the best raw materials and continuous control of the production process ensure a consistently high quality. One factor for success is the ongoing brand management in accordance with the specific requirements of the various brand personalities.

Three Sixty Vodka is one of the purest and mildest vodkas in the world. A fourfold distillation process ensures tangible softness and exceptional clarity while the purity of the vodka is all down to the time-consuming “Diamond Filtration” process: the finest filters are used, set with crystals like diamond dust, to remove even the smallest of suspended particles from the distillate. Even the packaging is unique: the facet-cut bottle of pure white shiny glass sets off this premium vodka to perfection. A black velvet label completes the sophisticated design.

The Grappa Bianca from Scavi & Ray is characterised by its full-bodied balanced flavour with powerful and intense aromas of marc. This crystal-clear brandy is soft and deliciously balanced thanks to the exquisite skill of the master distillery. The intense and fruity aroma is reminiscent of the sun-soaked vineyards in Italy.

Both products received a silver medal at the World-Spirits.