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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).

EDMUNDs Liköre: Modern liqueurs following old pharmacy traditions

In the Rats-Apotheke pharmacy in Bötzingen am Kaiserstuhl, Dr. Martin Kullmer produces four herb liqueurs by hand and in small batches. Only the very best raw materials are used, which meet the stringent requirements of the European pharmacopoeia. The enthusiasm for pharmaceutical preci-sion, the love for high-quality spirits and an accidentally discovered recipe for liqueur awakened an unexpected passion for liqueurs in the pharmacist. And so, in autumn 2017, the EDMUNDs brand was founded – in memory of his deceased grandfather, Edmund Dunkel. He was also a passionate phar-macist and principled connoisseur, who impressed his customers with his homemade liqueurs. Based on this traditional recipe, his grandson has developed four new, individual liqueurs to suit modern-day tastes.

The elegant Maranera bitter combines the aromas of aniseed, fennel and coriander with the subtle spiciness of ginger, galangal and cubeb pepper, complemented by the invigorating acerbity from bit-ter orange and wormwood. Krambambuli is a complex liqueur with floral, spicy, fruity and bitter components. The leading role with Kolanitida, an intensively fragrant liqueur, is played by the kola nut. And the powerful Bitterfürst is characterised by tangy herbal notes and spicy sweetness – exciting and impressive.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for EDMUNDs Bitterfürst and EDMUNDs Krambambuli, and silver for EDMUNDs Maranera and EDMUNDs Kolanitida.