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Aeijst: Making gin an experience

Spelt Aeijst, pronounced ‘eye-st’ – the Styrian dialect word for the branches on which botanicals grow. It is actually a London Dry Gin, but the name Styrian Pale Gin describes its own special style. The simple design of the bottle is reflected in its taste: clear and pure, both inside and out. 25 years ago, Wolfgang Thomann discovered schnapps distilling. With an old copper vat, fruit from his own garden and a few helpers he distilled alcohol for the first time. Since September 2018 there has been a new production site in St. Nikolai im Sausal, with a distillery open for tours and rooms for events and tastings. The centrepiece of the former winegrower’s house is a 400-litre copper vat.

Aeijst Gin is stored for one year in a new French barrique from Vosges, and another year in a rum barrel (18-year-old rum). It is bottled into hand-blown and signed bottles from the Viennese glassworks Comploj, limited to 500 bottles. Following this classic barrel aged gin and some experiments, Aeijst Umbra was created, a new definition of gin. “For us it is the spirit par excellence. Made from organic botanicals and natural spring water, slowly distilled in small batches, and unfiltered. An interpretation that breaks with well-known gin tastes.” New to the product range is Aeijst Peat, the first of its kind in Austria. It is a gin made from juniper berries that were smoked over Styrian peat from the Garanas high moor in western Styria.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Aeijst Peat Gin (Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award 2021).

Ostoya: Polish vodka for the world

Ostoya is part of the portfolio of Wyborowa Pernod Ricard S.A. The name Wyborowa can be translated as ‘selected’ and is a symbol for a product that over decades has set the standard of how a high-quality rye vodka should taste.

Ostoya was the first wheat vodka produced in Poland. The spirit is made from fine grains grown in Bieszczady, one of Poland’s most pristine regions. Amidst the clear streams and beautiful meadows of the highlands, everything runs to the rhythm of nature. It is a refuge of wilderness and raw nature, where time seems to stand still. Here you can breathe deeply, away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation. At the Pernod Ricard production plant in Zielona Góra, the products are distilled and carbon-filtered for exceptional purity in rectification plants in Poznan. This premium vodka is 100 percent Polish, from the grain to the glass. The design of the bottle is striking, inspired by the Bieszczady region, which also determines the origin of the wheat used. It is often sold in 700 ml bottles, but there are also larger formats, for example 1.75 litres, with atmospheric lighting.

Ostoya Vodka won Gold at the World Spirits Award.

2B Hemp Gin: Styrian gin experience

Two visionaries, Armin Breinl (doctor, drink creator, musician) and Wolfgang Thomann (gin maker), have created a completely new gin experience with real hemp powder: 2B HEMP GIN (inspired by AEIJST). On 17th November 2018, the two invited guests to the first tasting of 2B HEMP GIN in the AEIJST GIN distillery in St. Nikolai in the Sausal Valley.

Made from organic juniper berries, this innovative gin has an impressive, mild and fruity taste and a typical hemp note. Due to its unique aroma, it not only tastes good neat, but also creates a ‘wow’ effect in cocktails – as proven in the long drink Styrian Pale Gin AEIJST refined with 2B HEMP.

For thousands of years, hemp has been grown as a valuable plant, be it for rope, fabric, paper or as an active ingredient in ointments and tinctures. Hemp has always been highly valued for its medicinal properties, yet recently has been demonised as an addictive drug and has suffered under its ensuing prohibition, originating in the USA. These days hemp is regaining importance and is being used more as a luxury food as well as in medicine as a therapeutic agent.

The Lifestyle Trading company, run by Armin Breinl, is an innovative beverage producer, which is already known amongst trade professionals for its sugar-free ‘func- tional fruit drinks’. The drinks have a high fruit content (more than 50 per cent) and additional natural, vital substances and have an energising, relaxing and regenerative effect.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for 2B HEMP GIN.

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).