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Plomari Ouzo Distillery Isidoros Arvanitis: Original ouzo from Lesvos

Plomari on Lesvos is known as the home of ouzo. In 1894, Isidoros Arvanitis combined local ingredients with herbs which he had gathered from all around the world in a copper still. The famous recipe for Ouzo of Plomari Isidoros Arvanitis, current market leader in Greece, was born.

The distillery is located in an olive grove in picturesque Plomari, the village where ouzo has been produced for more than 125 years. The increase in export activity made the relocation to this larger plant necessary, where traditional production along with modern bottle filling and packaging take place. Today, Plomari Ouzo exports more than 76% of its production. The distillery is 100% family-owned and adheres to traditional methods.

The distillation in small, handmade copper vats for nine hours and the high-quality, local ingredients, combined with the top secret recipe, give the Ouzo of Plomari its characteristic aroma. The recipe that has remained unchanged for more than a century brings together the ideal ingredient proportions: soft water from the sources of the Sedounta river in Plomari, of course aniseed from Lisvori (which is considered the best in the world), fennel, star aniseed, cinnamon, nutmeg and mastic extract from Chios, a selection of herbs from Lesvos and salt from the salt marshes of Kalloni. Still today, this delicate yet rich delight is filled in a traditional bottle with typical corks.

The Ouzo of Plomari Citrus Liqueur is a blend of 100% Ouzo of Plomari with Greek citrus extracts, selected herbs and spices. The liqueur follows the traditional production, but has a milder, sweeter profile with hints of citrus. At 34% vol. it can be served chilled, on ice or in cocktails and complements the aniseed flavours of ouzo.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, Gold was awarded to Ouzo of Plomari Citrus Liqueur.

Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.

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.