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ERBER Edelbrände: Tyrolean appreciation and a celebration of fine distillates

For over 350 years, high-quality fine brandies, schnapps, spirits and liqueurs have been handmade from various kinds of fruit at Erber in Brixen im Thale. For an original Tyrolean fine brandy or Tyrolean schnapps, only hand-selected and fully ripened fruits of the best quality are processed in the oldest copper still distillery in Tyrol. Double distilled, diluted with their own spring water and some stored in wooden barrels, Erber fine brandies and schnapps are part of a traditional Tyrolean love of fine things.

The record of success: Master Class Distillery and Master Class Distillery with double gold for Tiroler Jagertee, gold for Blackcurrant Brandy, Wurzler, Süßwurzler, Brixx43 Gin, Old Rye Brandy (wood), Old Plum Brandy, Old Mirabelle Brandy, Muscatel Grape Brandy, Plum Brandy, Rowanberry Schnapps and Damson Fruit Liqueur, and silver for Williams Pear Schnapps, Coffee Spirit, Mirabelle Brandy, Rose Apricot, Tiroler Zirbener (stone pine) and Tiroler Nusseler (nut).

Darauf einen Hüpperling: Organic vodka for wholesome enjoyment

The production focuses on wholesomeness and excellent quality, all hand-crafted, without artificial additives, only with traditional distilling skills and regional ingredients such as the finest wheat and the purest primary rock spring water from a Natura 2000 European nature reserve. The wheat for ‘DEH’ comes from fields in Biberbach at the heart of the Mostviertel region and is organically certified. It is shredded and carefully processed into a mash, fermented for 72 hours and then distilled 60-fold in a column still to achieve the required purity. Only the ‘core’ is refined for the vodka. After a rest phase for the 96% alcohol, the distillate is reduced to drinking strength with granite water. This is followed by at least a year of storage until the balance and mildness have been achieved.

Destillerie Farthofer in Öhling in the Amstetten district of the Mostviertel in Lower Austria is responsible for the production. The retailer and trademark owner is Frank Hüpperling from Berlin, an architect and drummer. During a band rehearsal with his music band B3+, the ‘DEH’ idea was born and then created together with Josef Farthofer in 2020. The trademark has been registered under his name since 2020 at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. He has been certified as an organic retailer since 2021. And this is how he himself speaks of his organic vodka: “Quality doesn’t need ice. Mixing, cutting and icing are completely unnecessary here. This vodka is enjoyed pure and at room temperature (18 – 20°C), because the best quality doesn’t need any frost. Only then does its full glory come into its own.”

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to DEH Darauf einen Hüpperling.

Georg Hemmeter – XUXU, Escorial, SILLA EL FUERTE

Georg Hemmeter – strawberry drinks with exceptional flavour guaranteed

The name Georg Hemmeter – a company of the Underberg Group – stands for innovative spirits, in particular the XUXU range. The fresh and fruity strawberry drink contains 66 percent fruit plus crystal-clear vodka, rounded off with a dash of lime. The harmony between the sweetness of the fruit and just 15% alcohol by volume is created using a special production method. XUXU Ten, the little luxury in a 250 ml aluminium bottle with only 10% alcohol by volume, is dressed to party – it is still relatively new to the market, yet is already at home in all the world’s top party venues.
XUXU can be served in so many different ways: chilled, neat, on crushed ice, as a dessert topping, with sparkling wine or with other mixers – XUXU tastes heavenly and offers fresh and fruity pleasure. Welcome to Berrydise!

Initially the absolute top star in Greece, XUXU is now also number 1 in Russia, and extremely popular in Turkey and Italy too.


XUXU Strawberry & Vodka Drink and XUXU Ten won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2014.

Ehrenwert GmbH: One recipe – two families

One recipe – two families. Each family has its own carefully guarded secret recipe, and with the Lücke family this remained in the hands of grandfather Heinz and later his son Dieter for many decades. Long enough, thought sons Thomas and Christian. In any case, it is the ‘Felsenfeuer’ herb liqueur that once made the Lücke Distillery one of the most important in Münsterland. After the war they continued the success story which first began in the 18th century, with this herb liqueur, using the recipe that Heinz Lücke worked out. In the 1950s everyone was talking about it, but in the 1960s the era of the distillery and the herb liqueur ended. But not for good – 60 years later it celebrated its resurrection with the ‘Freudenfeuer’.

Whilst searching for a distillery, Thomas and Christian kept to family tradition, as their grandmother was a Sasse, and the Sasses’ fine distillery in Schöppingen is still well known today. Following a traditional recipe from 1947 the new liqueur is distilled in small batches and is bottled by hand after a ten-day rest period. Ready to enjoy: neat and ice cold like in the time of our grandfathers, or smoother, on ice with lightly pressed orange zest, or as a basis for a long drink with tonic water or ginger ale. To old times and new friends!

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Freudenfeuer.