World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now
The ultimate guide through the world of spirits - with current ratings of the best distilleries and commercial enterprises.
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Destillerie
Company:
Domäne Wachau eGen
Place:
3601 Dürnstein
Country:
Austria
Homepage:
Products:
- Obst-Brände
- Obst-Geiste & Spirituosen
Domäne Wachau: All about the grape
Austria’s most precious collection of old brandies lies in the impressive cellars of Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein. Approximately 250 winegrowing families belong to this internationally renowned wine-growers’ association. They cultivate their vineyards throughout the Wachau with an artisanal ap-proach as well as an abundance of experience and passion.
A wide range of quality wines is the foundation of production, while there is also a focus on high-proof specialities. Domäne Wachau can look back on a very long tradition of wine distillery. Over 300 years ago, Provost Hieronymus Übelbacher, builder of the Dürnstein Kellerschlössl wine cellar, wrote about the Wachau ‘Prandewein’ (brandy). Distillation has taken place in the modern style since the 1960s, with terrace wines from the Wachau and particular emphasis on the regional character.
With a regional focus and characterised by the Grüner Veltliner grape variety and the unique Wachau terroir, Veltliner brandies are double distilled in copper vats and then stored for many years in the baroque cellar at the foot of the Ried Kellerberg vineyard. The XA22 Grüner Veltliner wine brandy matures for about 22 years in small, wooden barrels to become a spicy Veltliner brandy with a strong structure and authentic character.
At the World Spirits Award, the XA22 Grüner Veltliner wine brandy won gold.
Austria’s most precious collection of old brandies lies in the impressive cellars of Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein. Approximately 250 winegrowing families belong to this internationally renowned wine-growers’ association. They cultivate their vineyards throughout the Wachau with an artisanal ap-proach as well as an abundance of experience and passion.
A wide range of quality wines is the foundation of production, while there is also a focus on high-proof specialities. Domäne Wachau can look back on a very long tradition of wine distillery. Over 300 years ago, Provost Hieronymus Übelbacher, builder of the Dürnstein Kellerschlössl wine cellar, wrote about the Wachau ‘Prandewein’ (brandy). Distillation has taken place in the modern style since the 1960s, with terrace wines from the Wachau and particular emphasis on the regional character.
With a regional focus and characterised by the Grüner Veltliner grape variety and the unique Wachau terroir, Veltliner brandies are double distilled in copper vats and then stored for many years in the baroque cellar at the foot of the Ried Kellerberg vineyard. The XA22 Grüner Veltliner wine brandy matures for about 22 years in small, wooden barrels to become a spicy Veltliner brandy with a strong structure and authentic character.
At the World Spirits Award, the XA22 Grüner Veltliner wine brandy won gold.
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 94.3 | Grüner Veltliner Weinbrand XA 22 | 2019 | Details |
Destillerie
Company:
Destillerie Franz Bauer GmbH
Address:
Prankergasse 29-31
Place:
8020 Graz
Country:
Austria
Homepage:
Products:
- Obst-Brände
- Obst-Geiste & Spirituosen
- Liköre
- Spirituosen Wiederverkauf
Destillerie Franz Bauer: Fruit in its clearest form/b>
The Franz Bauer distillery has been involved for 100 years in the processing and refinement of fruits and captures their aromatic richness in various distillates. The company was founded in 1920 as a distillery business in Gamlitz and Ehrenhausen. Some years later, the current company head office was acquired in Prankergasse. Today, Bauer is the only still existing distillery in Graz. The fruit and bonded distillery is among the most modern, steam-heated distillation plants in Europe. Over a million kilograms of fruit are distilled carefully here annually using the traditional method of double distillation.
Processing the fresh fruits requires great care in the various production steps. Each distillate has at least a year’s time to be able to fully develop, and is stored in various stainless steel, wooden or clay containers. The result: consistent quality, bottle for bottle – for 100 years. This is what sets the Franz Bauer Distillery apart. The ‘Distillery Tour’, which includes a tasting (detailed information at: www.bauerspirits.com), provides an insight into the entire production process.
The Master Class Distillery 2021 and World Class Distillery 2021 (Distillery of the Year 2021 – Gold & World Spirits Award) received double gold for Green Panther Kürbiskernlikör (pumpkin seed liqueur) (Spirit of the Year 2021) and Wodka Mikitra, and in addition 24 golds and 13 silvers.
The Franz Bauer distillery has been involved for 100 years in the processing and refinement of fruits and captures their aromatic richness in various distillates. The company was founded in 1920 as a distillery business in Gamlitz and Ehrenhausen. Some years later, the current company head office was acquired in Prankergasse. Today, Bauer is the only still existing distillery in Graz. The fruit and bonded distillery is among the most modern, steam-heated distillation plants in Europe. Over a million kilograms of fruit are distilled carefully here annually using the traditional method of double distillation.
Processing the fresh fruits requires great care in the various production steps. Each distillate has at least a year’s time to be able to fully develop, and is stored in various stainless steel, wooden or clay containers. The result: consistent quality, bottle for bottle – for 100 years. This is what sets the Franz Bauer Distillery apart. The ‘Distillery Tour’, which includes a tasting (detailed information at: www.bauerspirits.com), provides an insight into the entire production process.
The Master Class Distillery 2021 and World Class Distillery 2021 (Distillery of the Year 2021 – Gold & World Spirits Award) received double gold for Green Panther Kürbiskernlikör (pumpkin seed liqueur) (Spirit of the Year 2021) and Wodka Mikitra, and in addition 24 golds and 13 silvers.
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Gold | 96 | Bauer Green Panther Kürbiskernlikör | 2021 | Details |
| Double-Gold | 95.3 | Wodka Mikitra | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 95 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Vogelbeer Geist | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94.3 | Bauer Minzling | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Bauer JagerTee | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Bauer Karamell küsst die Kaffeebohne | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Stroganoff Vodka | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Wodka Nikita | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Orangerie Triple Sec | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Bauer Spirit of the Alps ZirbenZauber | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 93.3 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Zwetschken Schnaps | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 93 | Baracuda White Light Rum | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 93 | Bauer Orangenpunsch | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 92.7 | Bauer Heiße Hexe | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 92.7 | Bauer Rumpunsch | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 92.3 | Bauer Kuss der Haselnuss | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 92 | Freiherr von Pranck Tresterbrand | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 91.3 | Bauer Geile Nuss | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 91 | Freiherr von Pranck Zwetschkenbrand Fass Kollektion | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 91 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Würziger Wacholder | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 91 | Bauer Spirit of the Alps Wurzelsepp | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 90.3 | Bauer Inländer Rum | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Marillen-Schnaps | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Stroganoff Red Spirit | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Kirschen-Schnaps | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Bauer Waldbeerpunsch | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 89 | Bauer Weichsel Likör mit Bierbrand | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 89 | Bauer Marillenpunsch | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 88 | Bauer Schubi Dubi | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 88 | Bauer Früchte Punsch | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 88 | Bauer Bratapfelpunsch | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 87 | Freiherr von Pranck Marillenbrand Fass Kollektion | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 87 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Obst-Schnaps | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 86 | Bauer Gold Nuss Haselnusslikör | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 84 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Williamsbirnen Schnaps | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 84 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Himbeer Geist | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 83 | Bauer Styrian Panther Spirit - Gebirgsenzian | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 83 | Bauer Spirit of the Alps Latschentraum | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 80 | Bauer Hirschkrah | 2021 | Details |
Handel
Company:
Luding Group
Address:
Ryabinovaya Str. 55, Building 1
Place:
121471 Москва 471
Country:
Russian Federation
Homepage:
Products:
- Spirituosen Wiederverkauf
Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer
At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.
The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.
At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.
The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.
At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Gold | 95.3 | TCHAIKOVSKY | 2022 | Details |
Handel
Company:
Bimmerle KG Private Distillery
Address:
Önsbacherstraße 40
Place:
77855 Achern
Country:
Germany
Homepage:
Products:
- Spirituosen Wiederverkauf
- Destillerie
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).
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).
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 95 | Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Likör | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Wood Stork Spiced Rum | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 94 | Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 92.7 | Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Likör | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 92.3 | Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 92.3 | Needle Gin Green | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 92 | Don Pasquale Limoncello Likör | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 92 | Don Pasquale Haselnuss Likör | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Lörch Waldhimbeergeist | 2025 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 89 | Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 88 | Don Pasquale Pistazien Sahnelikör | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 87 | Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 87 | Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 85 | Lörich Bratapfel Sahnelikör | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 84 | Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 83 | Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 83 | Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 83 | Needle Gin Rosé | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 82 | Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne | 2025 | Details |
| Silver | 81 | Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert | 2025 | Details |
| Bronze | 79 | Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert | 2025 | Details |
