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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.

Liedschreiber Erdelbranddestillerie: A vocational passion

Andreas and Anna-Maria Liedschreiber both come from a farming background and have been running the farm with cattle, grassland, forest, alpine pastures and a distillery since 2003. The family has five daughters and one son. Andreas, a trained carpenter and master farmer, has been distilling using traditional methods in the farm’s own distillery since 1985. He has been a taster for sensory tests at the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences since 2000 and completed his training as a fine brandy sommelier in 2010. Anna-Maria, a master of home economics, specialises in liqueurs made from fruits and flowers and is also a fine brandy sommelier.

The distillery is located in the charming Alpine foothills near Lake Tegernsee. The Schafstatthof farm is not just a place of production, but an experience for all the senses. Every bottle tells a story – from carefully selected ingredients to masterful distillation. The high-quality specialities are matured to perfection in old earthenware barrels and are harmonised with their own mountain spring water. Visitors can learn more about the high-quality process from the fruit to the fine distillate and interesting facts about modern distillation technology on a public distillation tour (registration from ten people). Afterwards, there are tastings from the wide range of products, plus regional cheeses and fresh bread. For larger events (up to 80 people), the comfortably furnished ‘Destillenzi’ and a terrace with a view of the Alpine landscape are available.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, Gold was awarded to Schlehe-Brand (blackthorn brandy), Speierling-Brand (service tree brandy) and Herzbeere-Brand (guelder rose brandy), and Silver to Wildkirsche-Brand (wild cherry brandy).

St. Lucia Distillers – The Gold Standard for Rum

“St. Lucia Distillers is small, innovative and focussed on quality”, explains company director Michael Speakman. “Producing premium rum is the core focus of our corporate philosophy, and closely related with it are all other market activities. The members of our team are not afraid of taking risks and we innovate. We like to experiment with the production process and are delighted if this results in the creation of world class products.”

The company was founded in 1972 based on two long-established firms: the Barnard Family Estate in Dennery and Geest in the Roseau Valley, which is now the current site. Back then, the company was a mass producer of basic rum. Over the years, it has developed to become a specialist in premium rum with a comprehensive selection on offer today. Visitors to the St. Lucia Distillers are taken on a journey into the world of rum – ideally as part of a tour. The cultural heritage of this Caribbean island and its traditional rum production are brought to life. From the vats of molasses, which are full of the liquid, aromatic raw material, to the shiny copper tanks and oak casks (Bourbon to Port) to the storage and maturation of the rum.

The World Class Distillery 2018 (Distillery of the Year 2018 – Gold) won double gold for 1931 Sixth Edition (World Spirits Award 2018 & Spirit of the Year 2018), gold for Chairman’s Reserve The Forgotten Cask, Admiral Rodney, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced and Chairman’s Reserve Original Gold.