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Absintherie Celle à Guilloud: A legend with a past and a future

The homeland of absinthe is an area which defies borders: from Val-de-Travers in Switzerland to Pontarlier in France. A wormwood herb with an exceptional flavour grows here in the French-Swiss Jura, which gives absinthe its shared heritage – historically, industrially, socially and culturally. After being re-licensed in Switzerland and France, the region has set itself the goal of promoting the original absinthe and its origins. This has given rise to the ‘Route de l’Absinthe’ with interesting places, events and products relating to the ‘green fairy’ along the way. One such station is the small Absintherie Celle à Guilloud in Fleurier, Val-de-Travers.

For centuries, the location in the canton of Neuchâtel has been a centre of the watch-making industry and the homeland of two Nobel Prize winners. Here, the legend of the valley (formerly also a centre of absinthe distilling) lives on. Daniel Guilloud’s different versions of the mysterious, aromatic drink are far from the industrial standard – visitors can see this for themselves on a tour of the distillery. The beautifully furnished store sells absinthe in various forms, as well as limited editions, hand-blown glass bottles, accessories and much more; above all, though, riveting stories about the mysterious past of absinthe, told by Pierre-André Matthey, Daniel Guilloud’s successor.

This year again, the modern varieties were able to convince the jury at the World Spirits Award: there was gold for Absinthe Celle à Guilloud 54° and Absinthe La Guilloudtine 68°.

Krugmann Markenspirituosen: Tradition meets Zeitgeist

This traditional spirit manufacturer’s roots go all the way back to the century before last. When the Krugmann family founded the distillery on their farm in 1867 it was the first business in Meinerzhagen. Entrepreneurship and commercial spirit united with farm heritage to create something new. For six generations, the company was family-run, and since the mid-1990s it has been run by a management team which meets the changing market with innovative ideas.

The handcrafted art of distilling was always the top priority at Krugmann, building on the knowledge, experi-ence and passion of the distillers trained within the company. In the development of new spirits, tradition meets zeitgeist. Strictly guarded recipes are the foundation for many specialities. These are accompanied by the passion for experimentation to create new taste experiences. The result is a wide range of products with over 200 spirits, which also stand out thanks to their bottle design.

Preserving what has been tried and tested whilst exploring new paths in product development is also re-flected in the new products from the ‘Premium Enjoyment’ series: three barrel-matured Korn specialities and a gin which reflects the company’s skills in having worked with juniper for over 150 years.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Korn Cognac Barrel and Gin 150.

MBG International Premium Brands – Brands with added value

“We Love Liquids.” This slogan has accompanied MBG on its worldwide path of success since it was founded in 1993 under the name P.O.S. Marketing + Vertrieb GmbH: Strong brands have been established around the world in nearly 60 countries, with innovative own brands, renowned retail brands, great ideas and a lot of energy. With over 250 employees, the MBG Group currently generates over € 200 million and, every year, more than a million hectolitres are produced. The portfolio in Germany includes 12 own brands and 6 retail brands (from non-alcoholic drinks to low proof drinks to wines & spirits) for 90,000 customers.

“Our recipe for successful brands is the mixture of passion, conviction and knowledge of the market. If all goes well, names and products become new worlds which consumers love. Success is not always predictable, which means that courage is needed above all. The right moment has to be found and hard work put in, just like with a hit single: some are one hit wonders while others become classics.” Little can be added to this definition from Managing Director Andreas W. Herb. From the MBG Group headquarters in Paderborn, a great deal of expertise makes successful brands, tailored to the respective target group and the market segment. Many brands that are well known on shop shelves and in the gastronomy sector have played a role in the history of the company.

Participation in the World Spirits Award yielded gold for Dos Mas Nasty Nuts Shot.