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Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has several top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery, in addition, Mo Chara Passionfruit & Mango Gin from the Old Carrick Mill.

The Blackwater Distillery has been an Aldi partner since 2016 and developed the private label Boyle’s Gin exclusively for the Irish and British retail market. The product volume of the Blackwater Distillery for Aldi has risen strongly in recent years, whereby 140,800 bottles of the gin series were sold in 2018. The successful gin brand is manufactured in Blackwater Valley, West Waterford, with selected imported ingredients as well as regional apples, blackcurrants and elderflower. CEO Peter Mulryan – former TV producer and author of the book ‘The Whiskeys of Ireland’ – explains, “The partnership with Aldi has helped us to increase turnover enormously, and also to have the security to invest and expand. This includes on-site bottling facilities and a visitor centre.” Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery got its name from the region in County Cork where the malted barley comes from, and is only manufactured in small batches. The business was founded in 2003 by childhood friends who started out with only two small stills they had bought in Switzerland. Now the largest distillery in the country, it currently employs over 80 staff and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Ardfallen 10 Year Old Whiskey and Boyle’s Gin, and Silver for Boyle’s Sloe & Damson Gin and Ardfallen Whiskey.

Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).

Kavalan – Taiwan’s first single malt whisky

Taiwan’s natural resources gave rise to the founding of the country’s first whisky distillery. Behind the whisky is the King Car Group which operates companies in various sectors, including drinks, food, bio-technology, aquaculture among others. For years, they were looking for the perfect place for whisky production on the subtropical island, where hot, humid summers accelerate the maturation process. Yilan in the north-east of Taiwan was chosen due to the pure spring water of the Central Mountain Range and Snowy Mountain Range. The location also has the cleanest air in the country and is close to the Pacific, where the cool winds from Siberia can be felt in winter. An ideal setting for letting the whisky breathe in its casks.

The distillery was built in record time in just nine months with the first drops produced on 11 March 2006 and the first bottles of Kavalan issued in December 2008. Today, Kavalan is the most-sold product in this field. The company’s technical equipment includes copper distillation stills from overseas, various cask types (bourbon, sherry, American oak, etc.) and professional advisors – some with more than 30 years of experience in drinks manufacture.

The company’s results at the World Spirits Award are just as impressive as the dimensions of its distillery: as well as double gold for the Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky, there were another 16 golds and one silver.

Vánagandr – Great quality from a small business

This is a real cottage industry, as the distillery in Cambre in the north-west of Spain only covers 200 m². This doesn’t mean, however, that the strict regulations and legally required controls for the spirit industry don’t apply here. The company is of the highest standard: distillation is based on old Galician traditions and carried out over direct heat in a copper boiler from the best Portuguese coppersmiths, with a few modern modifications.

The alcoholic base for the London Dry Gin comes from triple distilled wheat of only the best quality. This also applies to the carefully selected botanicals: juniper, angelica root, Cassia cinnamon from Indonesia, orris root from Eastern Europe, coriander seeds, orange and lemon peel from Spain, cardamom from Guatemala, nutmeg from Indonesia, liquorice from Turkey, Ceylon cinnamon and a few other secret ingredients – as with all gin producers. The water that is used for the entire production process is one of the best drinking waters in the whole of Spain. Distillation takes place very slowly, over about 12 to 14 hours, which means a total of only about 440 bottles a day. Filling, sealing, labelling, signing and numbering is done manually. “I mostly work alone, although sometimes my wife helps me since we don’t have anyone else at the moment. This means that absolutely everything that is in these bottles has passed through my hands”, says director Enrique Pena. Not only these bottles are in a class of their own, the especially designed label also catches the eye with a mythology-inspired motif.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Vánagandr London Dry Gin.