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Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.

Berentzen Group: 260 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, there was Gold for Tres Países Premium Rum and Silver for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin.

Brennerei Vallendar: The highest distilling standard for over 30 years

Manufacturing theory is put into practice here. No product gets into a bottle without the involvement of Hubertus Vallendar. He is devoted to what he distils – his creations are more than spiritualised nature, they are spiritual naturalness. He is a perfectionist when it comes to distillery. His distilling method is his own highly modern concept. Hubertus Vallendar stands for innovation and excellent products. He devises new recipes with imagination and dedication. This is a task that poses new challenges for each natural product.

The careful selection of raw materials focuses particularly on the local region. The red Saturn peach grows right on their doorstep in the idyllic Moselle valley, as well as Riesling grapes for the best pomace and yeast brandies. In addition, fine fruits are purchased from the best growers in Europe, and exotic products are imported from around the world: tea and coffee, juniper and mango, ginger and bananas. They value sustainability and personal contact with producers. The variety is the broad basis for a remarkable palette of fine brandies, spirits, gourmet sprays, liqueurs, gins and whiskies, which are regularly the focal point of exclusive degustations.

Summary of the World Spirits Award: World Class Distillery 2026 OBB, World Class Distillery 2026 OBS, Master Class Distillery 2026 BILI and World Spirits Award 2026 for 2 x World Class, 1 x Master Class and Lifetime Achievement. There was Double Gold for Orangengeist (orange), Kakaogeist (cocoa), Riesling Hefebrand (yeast brandy, cold-fermented) and Waldhimbeerbrand (wild raspberry), Gold for Haselnuss Piemont (hazelnut), Zitronenmyrte Geist (lemon myrtle), Marc de Moselle (Riesling pomace brandy), Kirschbrand Barrique (cherry), TONI Boonekamp bitters, Zitronengeist (lemon) and Berto’s ROSSO bitter liqueur, and Silver for Anisgeist (aniseed, 100% star anise), Bananenbrand (banana), Sauerkirschlikör (sour cherry) and Amaro Waldkräuter herb liqueur.

RTF Distillers: The bar sector treads new paths

Stephan Hinz, a qualified restaurateur, is considered a visionary of modern gastronomy. He earned himself important awards in the bar sector early on, published several reference books, and his bar Little Link in Cologne was lauded as the ‘most innovative bar’ already in its first year of existence. This name also reflects what drives it: doing things differently, treading new paths, overcoming boundaries. He has passed on his knowledge as a speaker at trade fairs and events in over 20 countries. With his companies Hinzself and Cocktailkunst, he supports gastronomy and industry with his expertise and develops pioneering solutions for the industry. This has resulted, for example, in a revolutionary ice cube machine, glass collection and a range of environmentally friendly drinking straws. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, he has shown with great creativity how to make the best of the situation. Along with partners from the drinks industry, he launched the Barback initiative – designed to support the bar sector in the long term through digital solutions.

After over ten years of experience, he developed his own first spirits brand under the name ‘Root to Fruit’, the products Camela (‘journey along the legendary Silk Road’), Ricordino (‘homage to the Mediterranean way of life’) and Kalyx (‘elixir for life artists’). The innovative product range brings together carefully selected natural ingredients with the highest quality standards. A wide range of plants is also used, from fruit and vegetables to herbs and spices. All according to the motto: from the root to the fruit!

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Ricordino, and bronze for Camela and Kalyx.