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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).

Roust Hungary: Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands. One of the world’s leading vodka producers, the company is present in more than 80 countries. Roust owns production plants and distribution centres in Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has become the leading supplier on the domestic spirits market. The largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Zubrówka, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Original Vodka, and bronze for Royal Raspberry Liqueur.

Obstbrennerei Hügel: The secret behind the Hügel 22 brand

The family-run private distillery with owner Karlheinz Hügel and his son Christian produces fruit brandies, liqueurs, gin and whisky. This is one of the strengths of the Hügel family: “80 percent of the fruit is hand-picked from our natural orchards in the surrounding area.” The classic range is complemented by the modern Hügel 22 line – from gin to fine brandies.

The company was founded in 2013 as a hobby for the owners of the raw materials. The launch programme included 28 fruit brandies and liqueurs. From 2018 to 2020, Christian completed his training as a distiller and distillery specialist at the technical college for agriculture in Offenburg. This was followed in 2022 by the creation of the premium brand range Hügel 22, with eight exclusively filtered fruit brandies and a gin. The premiere was the presentation of Hügel 22 Whisky Exklusiv, limited to 380 bottles of 0.5 litres each. In 2023, the Hügel 22 range was expanded by ten liqueurs, and in 2025 by three single cask bottlings of whisky.

And what is behind the number 22? Christian Hügel solves the mystery for us: “That’s my lucky number. I was born on the 22nd and grew up at the address Im Dellbrunnen 22 in Hengsberg. I like to drink Scottish and Irish whisky and have also learned to appreciate German whisky. And that’s how the Pirmasens whisky creation came about, the first commercial whisky in the Southwest Palatinate. The base is barley from a wholesaler who tailors it to our own requirements. After three years, the whisky is fine-tuned when it is reduced to drinking strength with water from Pirmasens with a very low degree of hardness.”

At the World Spirits Award, there was Silver for Hügel 22 Whisky Edition 2, Hügel 22 Whisky Edition 3 and Hügel 22 Pflaume (plum in a port cask).

Seri Pervas: Homage to the tradition of trade

After being declared a free port in 1719, Trieste became the most significant port in Austro-Hungary and by 1900 it was the fourth-largest city in the empire after Vienna, Budapest and Prague, characterised by the profile of the steam ships that transported goods from the continent to the rest of the world. These also included Seri Pervas, a large-wheeled wooden steamer built in 1839 that travelled along the Danube into the inland areas and out to sea.

At the beginning of 2020, two brothers came up with a line of spirits as a homage to the trade history of the city. They brought the name of the ship back to life to trace the history of the merchants. Their great-grandfather Vittorio travelled to America on the transatlantic ships Vulcania and Saturnia and brought back exotic products that were not available in Europe. Deals were often made by handshake at the ports and sealed with a toast. This is how a modern line of spirits with gin and amaro emerged through artisanal production. Everything is made with passion and pride in Trieste, as can be read on the bottles. Local raw ingredients are carefully selected and enriched with spices. The design was also chosen with reference to the historical era, which was characterised by scientific and technological innovation, cultural dynamism and the emergence of world trade. Pharmaceutical discoveries laid the foundation stone for modern medicine and alcohol was part of many remedies. All of this led to the selection of a bottle as could be found in all pharmacies back then, as well as to the thick paper label and font from that time.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Seri Pervas Amaro.