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Jim Beam Distillery – Bourbon straight on

Knob Creek is named after a rivulet in Kentucky, the home of President Abraham Lincoln. His steadfast attitude seems to serve as an example for this straightforward bourbon. The square ‘chemist’s bottle’ suits these traditional values perfectly, as does the striking label which is reminiscent of the old tradition of wrapping bottles in newspaper. To this day, a mixture of experience and craftsmanship is the recipe for success for the bourbon from Knob Creek.

The bourbon was at the peak of its success in 1919, when the nationwide prohibition of the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol began – lasting until 1933. Following this, a new start was impossible for many distilleries; others couldn’t finance the customary long maturing process of the bourbon. This situation motivated Booker Noe to revive the traditional bourbon style from the time before the prohibition: rich in aroma, with discreet sweetness due to year-long maturation in strongly ‘toasted’ wooden barrels from American white oak. In 1950, he joined the family business – his mother was the daughter of Jim Beam, which meant bourbon was already in his blood – and completed his training as Master Distiller. With the small series of premium bourbon he launched, the term ‘batch’ (small) was established and revolutionised the industry. His son, Fred Noe, continues with this clear strategy: “I learnt the business from scratch, listened to my father and learnt on the job. I know what it means to make perfect bourbon. Each bottle is a reflection of my family.” Since 1992, the Knob Creek brand has represented these values with the perfect combination of tradition and top quality.

A golden trio was successful at the World Spirits Award: Knob Creek Rye Whiskey Small Batch, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and Knob Creek Straight Bourbon.

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.

Son Tinh – Tradition with a future

In 1993, ethnology student Markus Madeja travelled to Vietnam as a tourist – and he stayed. He went on to become a successful entrepreneur – with no start-up capital or bank loan, simply a convincing business idea. Today he has seven restaurants and a large distillery with more than 200 employees and a sales volume of 2 million dollars. Tradition is very important to him as are the Swiss virtues of quality and continuity.
His distilling started out on a small scale with 2 litre containers. His home was his production site. Following the opening of his first and second bars, the products began to gain in popularity and he decided to shift to a bigger scale. Today, the company has a modern distillery on the edge of Hanoi with a European level of technology. The secret to the schnapps: time to mature. They are produced according to Vietnamese recipes but marketed with western concepts and an innovative look: “The glass contains the soul of the schnapps but a pretty face sells it better!” The offer includes traditional herb schnapps with ginseng and other herbs and roots, sweet fruit liqueurs based on rice wine and a premium range with fruit distillates. The latter range will be expanded further in the future.
These schnapps varieties are unaffordable for the majority of the local population; a bottle costs around one tenth of the average monthly salary. However, the affluent young elite are benefiting from the economic boom and buying luxury goods. This luxury has brought about a renaissance for Madeja. He is now working with the farmers to further develop the traditional cultivation methods for the raw materials (e.g. rose apples) and the image of the products.
The World Spirits Award brought success for these exotic products: three golds for N?p Phú L?c (Phu Loc Sticky Rice Liquor), Minh Mang and B? Sa Pa.

Halewood Artisanal Spirits: Networked global presence

The manufacturer of artisanal spirits based in Great Britain boasts a highly awarded product range and is one of the leading independent distillers in the country, with over 950 employees. The brands are still family-owned and have a global presence, sold in 75 countries. The key markets are South Africa, Russia, Canada, Australia, China and Germany. The company develops, acquires and expands high-quality spirits brands worldwide, showing great competence in distillation, sales, marketing, traditional retailing and e-commerce.

Halewood owns and manages eleven main distilleries and a craft brewery, ten bars and an e-commerce enterprise, The Drop Store, present in Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Australia, South Africa and the USA. Halewood Artisanal Spirits owns distilleries for whisky, gin, vodka and rum, as well as a brewery. Customers include high-end luxury hotels, drinks wholesalers, supermarkets and food retailers. A wide international sales team is present on the markets, also external from the company.

The First Class Distillery 2022 received gold for Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum 37.5%, Dead Man’s Fingers Black Rum 40%, JJ Whitley Vodka Artisanal Vodka, JJ Whitley Vodka Artisanal Gold Vodka and Whitley Neill Connoisseur’s Cut Gin. Silver was awarded to Whitley Neill London Dry Gin, Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin, Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin, Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger, JJ Whitley Vodka Blue Raspberry, Crabbie’s Yardhead Single Malt Whisky, Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey, Samuel Gelston’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey and Samuel Gelston’s Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.