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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.

Raunikar - Popular for generations

In the past, digging out roots in the forests and on Alpine pastures was a business of wood cutters, former miners and charcoal burners. The gentian root was particularly sought after, as it was considered a universal panacea - and served, of course, as the raw material for brandy. The "Wurzelgraber" by Raunikar is resinous-spicy liqueur made from mountain herbs, fully in line with the company's tradition.

If you are talking spirits and schnapps in Carinthia and Eastern Tyrol, Raunikar immediately comes to mind. What began three generations ago in Feldkirchen, carries on in this tradition into the present and it is now combined with modern know-how. This is reflected in the popularity of the products from fruit, herbs and roots among customers in retail and the hospitality trade.

They work using traditional methods in order to produce outstanding spirits. Raw ingredients of a high quality, a controlled fermenting process, maturation in steel tanks and continuous quality control are some of the factors that single out a good distillery. After all, distillers need to meet the demands of quality-conscious customers who appreciate a good traditional Austrian schnapps.

In addition, the "Raunikar method" has a unique feature: the raw spirits, the result of the first distillation, are already subjected to storage and consequently undergo maturation and characterisation at this early stage. Only after this phase of rest does the fine distilling take place, which particularly brings out the essence of the fruit. This elaborate procedure was deliberately chosen, for this is the only way to obtain products which guarantee a symbiosis between the naturalness and sophistication.

At this year's World Spirits Award, "Wurzelgraber" won silver and the gin gold.

INDUSTRIAL EL ROSARIO: Traditional pisco from Chile

Bou Barroeta is located in Viña El Rosario in the heart of the Huasco Valley, known as the Garden of Atacama. Lush, colourful flora unfold in the middle of a desert landscape, where excellent pisco has been produced for generations. Pisco is based on handpicked muscatel grapes and distilled in traditional alembics. The wood for the barrels in which the pisco matures comes from the mountains near Lago Calafquén in the heart of the Mapuche region. For these indigenous people, the Coyan oak symbolises new life and the immortality of the soul. In this sense, the barrel storage is also a promise for the longevity of the distillate.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a large wave of immigration from the Spanish Balearic Islands to the areas of Coquimbo and Atacama in northern Chile. 19-year-old Francisco Bou Suñer, a master distiller, belonged to one of these first settler families of Majorcan origin. In 1903, his younger brother Antonio and his sisters joined him to settle in Vallenar, the capital of the province of Huasco. Antonio was one of the first pisco producers in Atacama to present his pisco at the Ibero-American Exhibition in Seville in 1930. In 1940, he married Celestina Barroeta Arrieta, and they had four children. After Antonio’s death in 1961, his son Francisco continued production and the pisco was registered as Bou Barroeta pisco in the 1980s. Today, his descendants are in charge of the El Rosario company.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, there was Silver for Bou Barroeta Marías, Cofradía de Bou Barroeta, Luxstelle de Bou Barroeta and Noor de Bou Barroeta.