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Kunstwerk Premium London Dry Gin: Precise – authentic – satisfying

With great attention to detail, this one is made by hand in the little town of Rösrath near Cologne. Since the beginning of 2020, Marcus Ritter has been distilling his gin at the small family distillery in the town. He is now filling the fifth small batch of his ‘gin work of art’, with just 200 bottles per distilling batch – and more will follow.

It all started with a gin seminar in Austria in 2016, where the trained carpenter and qualified architect got a taste for it. He sampled gins from around the world, but since only a few products impressed him, he made the firm decision that “One day I will bring a really good gin onto the market myself!” For him it was important to create a London Dry Gin, which can also be drunk neat, so he tinkered with the recipe for a long time. After four years, he had found the perfect mix of botanicals: aside from juniper (“a strong colour tone on our palette”), there are fresh organic lemons, rosemary, lavender from Provence, cardamom from Guatemala – and some secret ingredients.

Then just the presentation was missing. The inspiration for the label came with the first painting by his then two-year-old son in March 2020 – a work of art! “Thanks to the young artist, we not only had a strong image but also a brand name: Kunstwerk (Work of Art) Gin was born.” This basis of the current design was refined in a specially held competition. And the detailed bottle design comes from the inventor’s own pen. The development of the fine spirit took several years until it was ready for the market. Enjoyed at room temperature, neat and without ice, its aromas and botanicals unfold one after the other as a taste experience. A gin that deserves its name!

Kunstwerk London Dry Gin achieved gold at the World Spirits Award.

Royal Hawaii Spirits Distillery: Authentic recipes for customised drinks

In 2015 the RHS LLC Distillery was founded and in 2018 they started with developing and producing small quantities of spirits and distilled specialities, as well as beginning sales in Hawaii. The brand was launched with nine of their most popular products: Hula Girl Lilikoi (Passionfruit) Vodka, Kona Mule Coffee Liqueur, Pineapple Spirit & Brandy, Hawaii Mule, Ginger Honey Cordial, Maui Pink Gin, Whisky Formula No. 808, Sandwich Islands Rum and Sakura Hawaiian Style Shochu.

The wholesaler for distilling and sales is in Honolulu. Small quantities are produced, based on 100% locally produced alcohol. Some spirits are available for bars and trademarks or in cooperation with other artisanal distilleries, to manufacture alcoholic drinks outside of the Hawaiian Islands. Exclusive or customer-specific recipes for bars, clubs, restaurants, spirits shops and others are also possible. The mission of RHS is to offer consumers affordable, locally produced spirits, using high-quality ingredients and supporting local farmers and enterprises. The vision of RHS is exceptional performance in the production of spirits in the federal state of Hawaii, by combining old and new European, Asian and American recipes with authentic fruits and herbs, in order to satisfy customers on the mainland and internationally with excellent spirits.

At the World Spirits Award, the Dragon Fruit Spirit Liquor and Aloha Spirit Liqueur achieved gold, while both Rum and Spirit Distilled from Pineapple as well as Rum and Spirit Distilled from Ginger achieved silver.

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.