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Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Château Steinle Manufaktur: Globally recognised gin from what’s probably the smallest distillery in the world

Frank Steinle is an economist and marketing specialist – and a great lover of handmade products, good food, good wines and the best gin. In 2013, the idea was born for his first products. His philosophy is clear: excellent products cannot be created on an industrial scale. They can only develop based on a foundation of high-quality ingredients, when you know where they come from, and how they are produced and processed. Craft distilleries are the future: Quality before quantity!

Everything is manual work here: grinding the botanicals, distilling over real fire, filling, labelling, and numbering the bottles. “We only use high-quality alcohol based on wine and we don’t use any additives. The gins contain 100% of the essential oils of the botanicals.”

HERRLICH GIN is a straight London Dry Gin with 28 botanicals, BAYERISCH GIN is a hearty Bavarian Dry Gin with a hop and malt flavour and 32 botanicals, refined with some stone pine wood, PINKCAT GIN is a tart, fresh and fruity Old Tom Gin with 29 botanicals and the original ULMER GIN (a registered trademark) is a fine London Dry Gin with 20 botanicals. This year, the company is participating with its second commissioned work: HONIG GIN is a London Dry Gin with 10 organic botanicals. The organic honey is handmade in Ulm by the company Bienesto. HERRLICH BLUE MAGIC Dry Gin is also presented with 29 organic botanicals. It is refined with spices and transforms from royal blue to violet with tonic water.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for BAYERISCH GIN and HONIG GIN, and silver for HERRLICH GIN BLUE MAGIC, ULMER GIN, HERRLICH GIN and PINKCAT GIN.

TERAI India Dry Gin: Indian contribution to the gin scene

Terai is a belt of fertile swamplands stretching along the foothills of the Himalayas. This land irrigated by springs and rivers, with its lush and fresh vegetation, is reflected in the carefully manufactured TERAI Gin. The botanicals are sourced mainly from Khari Baoli – Asia’s largest herb and spice market in Delhi.

Since the 14th century, Terai has been the homeland of the Swarup founding family, who have a long history of farming in the region. The distillery in Behror, Rajasthan, was one of the first in independent India, founded by Shekhar Swarup, a fourth-generation distiller. Equipped with a customised Carl copper pot still, the gin is manufactured in a traditional one-shot London Dry procedure. The basic distillate is a rice grain distillate from the neighbouring family distillery, enabling a strictly controlled grain-to-glass process.

The result is a modern gin, on the one hand rooted in the tradition of London Dry Gin, and on the other with an authentically Indian flavour profile. Apart from juniper berries, coriander, fennel, lemon peel, orange peel, lavender, rose, angelica and iris root, it also contains a special component: the ‘holy herb’ Tulsi (Indian basil). In the spiritual life of many Hindus, it plays a role in religious ceremonies and is associated with many legends surrounding its divine protection. This shrub with delicate leaves stands in countless house entrances or courtyards in India.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to TERAI India Dry Gin.