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Kornbrennerei H. Heydt – An awareness of tradition and trends

The medium-sized family business was founded in 1860 in Haselünne, which is in Emsland in Northern Germany, an area which lives from agriculture, grazing and forestry. The home distillery developed into an important business over the generations. Grain has always been the base, and over the years the product range has been continually improved and expanded. Wheat distillate was reinterpreted to make this forgotten kind more accessible again to consumers. The grain distillate, which is distilled in their own distillery, matures over several years in carefully selected wooden barrels. Hubert Heydt is a member of the fourth generation of the family to run the business and he has always looked ahead, just like the company’s founder: “We still have lots to do! Our barrel storage cellar has many a treasure ready for our customers.”

The portfolio includes traditional brands from the clear spirits category, herb liqueurs, light fruit spirits and vodka-based contemporary brands. The product philosophy is focused on the further development of existing products by taking over traditional brands that are well-known. The ‘Steinhäger’ is one such product. Heydt has, however, also established new trends with its own brands; the ‘light power products’ are a success story in themselves. Limited editions are marketed under the ‘Heydt Manufaktur’ label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was a haul of six gold awards and one silver.

Hofbrennerei Oberkorb: Pure brandies exclusively

Andreas Franzl’s small farm distillery is located between Munich and Mühldorf near Dorfen. He picks wild fruits and the best fruit from the region’s meadow orchards with trees of over 100 years of age to create the basis for highly aromatic fruit brandies with a terroir character. Only pure brandies emerge from the farm distillery. They are of incomparable elegance and owe their depth and harmony to over 20 years of maturation in some cases. Flagship products include old varieties of apple and pear, European wild plum and quince, complemented by brandies made from extremely rare fruits such as danewort, guelder rose or red elderberry. The brandies are long established in the top restaurants of Bavaria and beyond.

Andreas Franzl, Master of World Spirits and brandy sommelier h.c., can draw on the tradition of a wonderful farm with over 400 years of history. He has shown courage, openness and foresight regarding the status and value of pure fruit brandies in the spirits industry. More than 800 distillers from all over Europe have now completed his distilling and sensory courses. He is an advisory board member and lecturer for sensory analysis at the Genussakademie Bayern in Kulmbach, and is heavily involved in the conception and implementation of the fine brandy sommelier qualification. With his son Georg, a budding Master of World Spirits, the next generation is already on board to lead the distillery into the future with its famed consistency of quality.

As of 2026, this will be commercially integrated into the new bonded distillery. The new barrel store also matures whiskies distilled from the farm’s own barley and honey brandies from the farm’s bees. Not to mention beer brandies and fruit brandies, some of which are aged in ash barrels from the farm’s own forest.

At the World Spirits Award, this World Class Distillery 2026 won Gold for several spirits: Roter Weinbergpfirsich (red vineyard peach), Wachauer Marille (apricot), Himbeerbrand aus Waldhimbeeren (wild raspberry), Hausapfel (apple, cuvée of old varieties), Hauszwetschke – in Johanniskreuzeiche (damson, matured in oak barrels).

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.

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.