World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

LACASCARA: Premium aperitif made of the ‘cáscara’

This special product was created on the base of cáscara, grapefruit and raspberries. The Spanish name means ‘skin’, referring specifically to the skin of the red coffee berry. Centuries ago, cáscara was dried on coffee farms and drunk as tea; in modern coffee production, the pulp and skin remain unused – this could potentially create a mountain of around ten million tons of cáscara. It only gained approval as a novel food in 2022. Its use in this aperitif also has a social aspect, as coffee farms receive much-needed additional income.

Behind LACASCARA are Lisah Dietrich, who worked in marketing for many years, and Constantin Müller, owner of an advertising film agency and a camera rental company, and also a lecturer at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences. They source the highest quality cáscara from Colombia and Peru from farms that have left cooperatives to market their own coffee. During the season, the best ripe coffee berries are picked by hand in 4 harvests, before being sorted and dried in the sun for over 40 days. The liqueur is then produced by hand in a small distillery, without artificial additives. Caffeine is only present in small amounts; one glass contains only one to two percent of the caffeine contained in a litre of cola. The taste of cáscara is reminiscent of rosehip, pomegranate and spicy honey. Perfect as a spritz, with tonic water, neat, or on the rocks. With a balance of fruitiness and a slight bitter note, a new, natural taste experience has been created that also meets the needs of an entire generation for high quality, sustainability and naturalness.

LACASCARA Premium Aperitivo won silver at the World Spirits Award.

El Negocio Tequila: An exciting combination of two worlds

El Negocio combines the expertise of a Napa Valley winemaker and the traditions of the tequileros in Jalisco to produce top tequila. The producer is committed to tried and tested methods, natural variations and craftsmanship. Master distiller Chava Rosales has a wealth of expertise that has been honed over three generations.

Mature Tequilana Weber agave from the mineral-rich Zona Valles is cooked in stone ovens, extracted using traditional techniques and processed in the open air with artisanal precision. After fermentation, the tequila is double distilled in a copper pot still and stored in stainless steel to preserve its purity. This tried and tested process takes into account natural variations and avoids additives, so that each harvest is a reflection of the essence of the agave, similar to vintages of fine wines. Aged varieties go into once-used French oak barrels from the renowned Memento Mori winery in Napa Valley, which were used to produce a 100-point Cabernet Sauvignon. In Jalisco, the barrels are medium-roasted and refilled with wine, which ensures depth and complexity. The finely grained French oak is perfect for enhancing the nuances that lovers appreciate in tequilas from the valley. El Negocio is proof of what tequila can be when craftsmanship and tradition merge: an authentic spirit that combines the nuanced restraint of winemaking with the unbridled spiciness of tequila.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for El Negocio Tequila Blanco and El Negocio Tequila Joven, and Silver for El Negocio Tequila Reposada.

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.