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Morikawaratan: Liqueur specialities from Japan

Takanori Mori, who runs a roofing company, started Goodman Kitchen, a mobile restaurant, in 2018. He travelled through Japan with it and got to know wonderful ingredients in every region. Inspired by these encounters, he founded a factory for liqueur specialities in 2022. He began producing liqueurs, for which he processed agricultural products from all over Japan. The first product, Limoncello, was launched in spring 2023, followed by Arancello, plum wine and Bankan, made from unique citrus fruits. Guided tours of the company are also available for anyone interested.

In November 2023, Limoncello was awarded a gold medal and the plum wine a silver medal at ‘The Liqueur Masters’. This is organised by ‘The Spirits Business’ trade magazine, and spirits are tasted by spirits experts in 14 separate categories. The results can also be found at www.thespiritsbusiness.com, which attracts more than 325,000 visitors from almost 150 countries every month. The products also impressed the WSA expert jury.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Hida Craft Lemoniq (Sweet Award & SoY 2024), gold for Hida Craft Lemoniq Bitter, and bronze for Hida Craft Umeshu Den.

Gautier-Mückstein: Tradition meets innovation

For generations, the traditional family business Gautier-Mückstein has been pampering people’s palates. The company produces over one million bottles a year and has an impressive portfolio of innovative products such as the ChocoLat range and vegan cream liqueurs, which were converted to plant-based in 2022. Classics such as hazelnut liqueur, the Kaiser-Franz-Josef range or seasonal creations such as punch cake liqueur or summery limoncello complete the range.

The history of Gautier-Mückstein began in 1880 in a small production facility in Vienna’s Schottenfeldgasse. The company has developed steadily since the takeover by Wilhelm Mückstein in 1948 and the integration of the Perchtoldsdorf company Gautier & Co in 1955. Today, the portfolio extends far beyond spirits and, since the integration of Ellinger & Co in 2007, also includes aromas, essences and raw materials for the food industry.

With many years of experience and a wide range of products, Gautier-Mückstein combines traditional values with modern developments and thus contributes to the diversity and quality of the Austrian spirits landscape.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Double Gold for ChocoLat Chocolate Chilli Liqueur 15% vol, and Gold for Unsere Haselnuss Spirituose 33% vol (hazelnut), Herbal Liqueur 27% vol, ChocoLat Chocolate Orange Liqueur 15% vol, ChocoLat Chocolate Nougat Liqueur 15% vol and Marzipan Cream Liqueur 15% vol. Silver was awarded to Punschkrapfenlikör 15% vol (punch cake liqueur) and Cherry Brandy Liqueur 20% vol, and Bronze to Hazelnut Cream Liqueur 15% vol.

Roust Hungary: Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands. One of the world’s leading vodka producers, the company is present in more than 80 countries. Roust owns production plants and distribution centres in Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has become the leading supplier on the domestic spirits market. The largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Zubrówka, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Original Vodka, and bronze for Royal Raspberry Liqueur.

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.