World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Ehrenwert GmbH: One recipe – two families

One recipe – two families. Each family has its own carefully guarded secret recipe, and with the Lücke family this remained in the hands of grandfather Heinz and later his son Dieter for many decades. Long enough, thought sons Thomas and Christian. In any case, it is the ‘Felsenfeuer’ herb liqueur that once made the Lücke Distillery one of the most important in Münsterland. After the war they continued the success story which first began in the 18th century, with this herb liqueur, using the recipe that Heinz Lücke worked out. In the 1950s everyone was talking about it, but in the 1960s the era of the distillery and the herb liqueur ended. But not for good – 60 years later it celebrated its resurrection with the ‘Freudenfeuer’.

Whilst searching for a distillery, Thomas and Christian kept to family tradition, as their grandmother was a Sasse, and the Sasses’ fine distillery in Schöppingen is still well known today. Following a traditional recipe from 1947 the new liqueur is distilled in small batches and is bottled by hand after a ten-day rest period. Ready to enjoy: neat and ice cold like in the time of our grandfathers, or smoother, on ice with lightly pressed orange zest, or as a basis for a long drink with tonic water or ginger ale. To old times and new friends!

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Freudenfeuer.

Achim Lohner: Traditional enterprise with a future

Founded in 1912, the Lohners boast an impressive growth story of 110 years of a family bakery chain. Almost 170 bakeries with over 2,000 employees in Germany sell fresh baked goods, including cakes, to more than 60,000 customers daily. Sustainability concepts have always been considered and observed throughout the long company history. Thinking of tomorrow already today is not an empty slogan here but a practiced company philosophy. This ranges from using local suppliers, reducing energy consumption by using the latest technologies to cooperating with sustainable agriculture.

The new managing director Marc Kranz has now gone one step further. He has combined his longstanding fascination with gin with the reduction of returns from the branches. The crust of one of the top breads of the bakery, the ‘Raubritter’ (robber knight), has been used as a basis for the high-quality London Dry Gin ‘The Bread Knight’. Together with the Hubertus Vallendar Distillery, Marc Kranz and Mario Vallendar have created a unique product, as it were – a taste journey lined with juniper trees and fresh bread, accompanied by various botanicals. The partiality to traditional and artisanal procedures, coupled with great dedication, has resulted in a unique experience.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to The Bread Knight London Dry Gin.

Obsthof Wiesmeier: I hope you are organic?

“Quality is the product of a love of detail.” Following this motto, as well as fresh fruit, various fruit-based products are produced at Obsthof Wiesmeier. The constant quality controls are carried out ac-cording to high standards, from the beginning of production through to storage and packaging. Aside from fruit brandies in numerous varieties, also Frizzante, ciders, jams and fruit juices are produced. The quality of the raw materials is paramount, a large part of which are grown directly on the farm, and seasonal workers are hired to cope with the workload.

The fruity range includes apples, apricots and damsons, fine brandies, liqueurs, Frizzante, juices, ci-ders, vinegar, syrup and nectar, dried apple slices, jams, fruit snacks and muesli, seasonal products, and more. The farm shop is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8am until 6pm and Saturdays from 8am until 12 noon, and offers organic fruit of all shapes and sizes.

Managers Gerhard and his son Paul Wiesmeier are joined by his wife Wilma and daughter Marie-Theres in the key functions of the business. And so the next generation is already firmly involved.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Muscat-Bleu Wood Cigar Brandy, and silver for Second Try Gin.