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Berentzen Group: 250 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin and Tres Países Premium Rum.

Senft quality brandies – Experience, experimentation and success

In the picturesque Salemertal Valley in Southern Baden-Württemberg, just a few kilometres from Lake Constance, lies the Senft family’s farm. On the sunny side of the lake they have the ideal conditions for fruit-growing, as well as for the production of brandies, liqueurs, whisky and more. In their own orchards grow old apple varieties such as Cox-Orange and Elstar, small Williams pears, bright yellow Mirabelle plums and juicy peaches. Huge sour cherry trees and ancient damson trees also yield generous harvests, not to mention the fragrance of aromatic raspberries in late summer – the excellent products from the Senft farm speak for themselves.

As soon as the first fruit is ripe, the harvest begins, in which the tree-ripened fruit is harvested in three stages. Only hand-picked, fully ripened fruit is mashed. In order to retain the fine flavours of the fruit, the fresh mash is distilled immediately. After distillation, the distillates mature in stainless steel tanks, some also in barrique barrels, where the wood gives whisky, vodka and brandy their characteristic colour, aromatic richness and mild flavour.

The Senft family has been linked to fruit-growing and distillation for generations. They excel in their traditional knowledge, modern technology, their courage to experiment and their trust in the quality of the spirits and liqueurs. The business was founded in 1988. Herbert Senft also worked as a cellar master (for ‘Markgraf von Baden’ and ‘Winzerverein Hagnau’) from 1972 to 2010. The selection brandies with fruit extract have been on sale since 2002. The next year, new storage rooms were established in Salem-Rickenbach, and the licence as a bonded distillery was added in 2007. In 2012, the first Lake Constance (‘Bodensee’ in German) whisky expanded the wide range further still, and a vodka followed in 2013. It will be interesting to see what comes next at the Senft farm in the Salemertal Valley.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Senft Bodensee Whisky and Senft Bodensee Williams Selektion, and bronze for Williams.

AXIS Flight Training Systems: Axis Gin

AXIS Flight Training Systems is a manufacturer of full flight D level simulators – the highest qualification level. The idea of distilling his own gin came from Managing Director Christian Theuermann in January 2023. After visiting several distilleries, the Krauss Distillery was chosen, where the gin is produced according to their own recipe. Juniper was used predominantly, with Andaliman pepper, lavender, lemon and cardamom as botanicals. The fact that five botanicals have been chosen is intended to indicate that the company is represented on five continents.

After four weeks of maceration of the botanicals, distillation takes place, followed by the addition of water to adjust to drinking strength. The gin is bottled at 47 percent by volume because the holding company is based in Zurich and Lebring in Styria is headquarters – and both are on the 47th latitude.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Double Gold for 47° London Dry Gin (Spirit of the Year 2025).