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BOAR Distillery: Appreciation as a tradition since 1844!

The roots of the small traditional distillery go back to 1844. Making use of the distillery licence dating back to that time, they began to develop a gin in 2014, using everything that their homeland offered: native, authentic ingredients in their purest form. It took over a year to find the perfect recipe. The result was a very good gin, but with a slightly bitter and sharp finish like many others. Whilst searching for a solution, they stumbled on an exciting discovery. Germany used to be a well-known truffle nation. When truffle searching was forbidden in 1935 by the German Reich nature conservation law, the black gold was forgotten about – and it only became an integral part of this gin concept much later. At the end of 2015, a discovery helped the distillers achieve their aim: the truffle removed the bitterness and sharpness from the gin, depending on the method and timing of the addition. The crowning finale had been reached – the harmony of the elements: the BOAR effect.

Mineral-rich deep spring water drenches the soil of the Black Forest and refines the ingredients into their purest form – above and below the ground. Wild-growing, natural botanicals are combined in this composition, refined and accentuated through essences of the rare Black Forest gold, the Black Forest Burgundy truffle. Handmade and distilled in small batches, this gin is an ambassador for the pleasures offered by this unique region in southern Germany.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for BOAR Gin (Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award), and silver for Berry Herb Liqueur Caliber 1844.

Mey Diageo: Lion’s milk from Turkey

Raki is a typical Anatolian product with a manufacturing process specific to Turkey. The ingredients (grapes, raisins and aniseed from Anatolia) are distilled in traditional copper vats (maximum 5,000 litres), followed by at least one month of maturing in tanks or oak casks. The aniseed adds an unmistakable fragrance and creates the ‘white cloud’ when it is diluted with water – hence the fitting name ‘lion’s milk’. Raki has been trademarked due to its geographical origin since 2009.

Mey Diageo (with more than 30,000 members of staff in 180 countries) has a wide selection of brands that represent a culture of 500 years. These include Yeni Raki, Tekirdag Rakisi, Kulüp Raki, Altinbas Raki and Izmir Raki, and it exports to more than 30 countries. Yeni Raki has been produced since 1937 and is the ‘World’s Number 1 Raki Brand’ (IWSR 2020 with regard to volume). Since 2019, new recipes have been developed in ‘miniature’ pot stills (1/10 of the normal size) at a production site in Alasehir. The first product developed in this way is Yeni Raki Uzun Demleme (Long Distilled), and the second innovation is Yeni Raki Giz, inspired by whisky at cask strength (68%).

Raki is usually served in tall, thin glasses. Connoisseurs use an ‘Ehl-i keyf’ which simply means ‘bon vivant’. The glass is cooled in a cylindrical copper vessel and the outer edge is then filled with water and frozen before serving. Serefe!

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Kulup Raki Deluks SoY 2024, and gold for Yeni Raki Ala.

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.