World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

2B Hemp Gin: Styrian gin experience

Two visionaries, Armin Breinl (doctor, drink creator, musician) and Wolfgang Thomann (gin maker), have created a completely new gin experience with real hemp powder: 2B HEMP GIN (inspired by AEIJST). On 17th November 2018, the two invited guests to the first tasting of 2B HEMP GIN in the AEIJST GIN distillery in St. Nikolai in the Sausal Valley.

Made from organic juniper berries, this innovative gin has an impressive, mild and fruity taste and a typical hemp note. Due to its unique aroma, it not only tastes good neat, but also creates a ‘wow’ effect in cocktails – as proven in the long drink Styrian Pale Gin AEIJST refined with 2B HEMP.

For thousands of years, hemp has been grown as a valuable plant, be it for rope, fabric, paper or as an active ingredient in ointments and tinctures. Hemp has always been highly valued for its medicinal properties, yet recently has been demonised as an addictive drug and has suffered under its ensuing prohibition, originating in the USA. These days hemp is regaining importance and is being used more as a luxury food as well as in medicine as a therapeutic agent.

The Lifestyle Trading company, run by Armin Breinl, is an innovative beverage producer, which is already known amongst trade professionals for its sugar-free ‘func- tional fruit drinks’. The drinks have a high fruit content (more than 50 per cent) and additional natural, vital substances and have an energising, relaxing and regenerative effect.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for 2B HEMP GIN.

Georg Hemmeter – XUXU, Escorial, SILLA EL FUERTE

Georg Hemmeter – strawberry drinks with exceptional flavour guaranteed

The name Georg Hemmeter – a company of the Underberg Group – stands for innovative spirits, in particular the XUXU range. The fresh and fruity strawberry drink contains 66 percent fruit plus crystal-clear vodka, rounded off with a dash of lime. The harmony between the sweetness of the fruit and just 15% alcohol by volume is created using a special production method. XUXU Ten, the little luxury in a 250 ml aluminium bottle with only 10% alcohol by volume, is dressed to party – it is still relatively new to the market, yet is already at home in all the world’s top party venues.
XUXU can be served in so many different ways: chilled, neat, on crushed ice, as a dessert topping, with sparkling wine or with other mixers – XUXU tastes heavenly and offers fresh and fruity pleasure. Welcome to Berrydise!

Initially the absolute top star in Greece, XUXU is now also number 1 in Russia, and extremely popular in Turkey and Italy too.


XUXU Strawberry & Vodka Drink and XUXU Ten won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2014.

South Seas Distilleries: India’s pioneer of premium spirits

South Seas Distilleries is one of the most traditional distilleries in India and embodies over four generations of craftsmanship, combining local raw materials and a spirit of innovation with global quality standards. Founded in 1984 in Dahanu, Maharashtra, South Seas was one of the early pioneers of producing classic single malt whiskies in India. Early on, the distillery relied on high-quality pot still technology from Scotland and later built the largest copper pot stills in the country as well as an extensive maturation warehouse for spirits with depth and character.

The philosophy of the distillery is based on a simple but powerful credo: quality before quantity, substance before spectacle. This claim is reflected in products such as the Crazy Cock single malt whisky, a multi-matured India single malt that displays a rich aroma profile with warmth, complexity and finesse thanks to careful cask selection (ex-bourbon, ex-sherry).

However, South Seas goes beyond the classic whisky tradition. With Six Brothers Mahura, a centuries-old Indian spirit category has been revived. Presented as a luxurious heritage spirit with global ambition, they are an expression of India’s cultural depth and regional heritage – unique in this form worldwide. At a time when the premium spirits market is increasingly looking for authenticity and origin, South Seas is sending out a clear signal, namely that tradition and innovation can be combined to create spirits that delight experts and curious connoisseurs alike.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Six Brothers Mahura, and Silver for Crazy Cock The Single Malt Whisky – Madhuca 1 and Crazy Cock The Single Malt Whisky – DHUA.

Senft quality brandies – Experience, experimentation and success

In the picturesque Salemertal Valley in Southern Baden-Württemberg, just a few kilometres from Lake Constance, lies the Senft family’s farm. On the sunny side of the lake they have the ideal conditions for fruit-growing, as well as for the production of brandies, liqueurs, whisky and more. In their own orchards grow old apple varieties such as Cox-Orange and Elstar, small Williams pears, bright yellow Mirabelle plums and juicy peaches. Huge sour cherry trees and ancient damson trees also yield generous harvests, not to mention the fragrance of aromatic raspberries in late summer – the excellent products from the Senft farm speak for themselves.

As soon as the first fruit is ripe, the harvest begins, in which the tree-ripened fruit is harvested in three stages. Only hand-picked, fully ripened fruit is mashed. In order to retain the fine flavours of the fruit, the fresh mash is distilled immediately. After distillation, the distillates mature in stainless steel tanks, some also in barrique barrels, where the wood gives whisky, vodka and brandy their characteristic colour, aromatic richness and mild flavour.

The Senft family has been linked to fruit-growing and distillation for generations. They excel in their traditional knowledge, modern technology, their courage to experiment and their trust in the quality of the spirits and liqueurs. The business was founded in 1988. Herbert Senft also worked as a cellar master (for ‘Markgraf von Baden’ and ‘Winzerverein Hagnau’) from 1972 to 2010. The selection brandies with fruit extract have been on sale since 2002. The next year, new storage rooms were established in Salem-Rickenbach, and the licence as a bonded distillery was added in 2007. In 2012, the first Lake Constance (‘Bodensee’ in German) whisky expanded the wide range further still, and a vodka followed in 2013. It will be interesting to see what comes next at the Senft farm in the Salemertal Valley.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Senft Bodensee Whisky and Senft Bodensee Williams Selektion, and bronze for Williams.