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Sauerländer Edelbrennerei: From hobby to successful business

Fine brandies, spirits and liqueurs have been produced in Kallenhardt for the last 20 years. The product range has been rounded off by Thousand Mountains® Mc Raven Single Malt Whisky. What started out as a hobby has developed into a successful family business. Behind it all is epicurean and businessman, Ulrich Wolfkühler, and a trip to the southern German fruit distilleries towards the end of the 1990s. Some rather poor brandies led to the declaration “We can do better!” and the decision to build up a distillery with family friends, the Wolfkühler family and the Mülheims family, to create natural products without additives – by hand.

The adventure began by acquiring the distilling rights in the year 2000. Raw materials from the region were sourced and a well was built for extracting water of the best quality. They started with a 200-litre plant in a double garage, then, in April 2016, they transferred to a renovated old sawmill. The acquisition of a 1,200-litre pot still plant made the whisky dream come true. Since then, the future of the company has been shaped by a new 1,000-litre plant for fruit distillation and an extension for bottling, dispatch and bottle storage. An expansion of the visitors’ experience area is planned as well as a barrel storage area. Traditional artisanship is combined with innovation, passion, skill and patience. The team of three with the highest demands on quality and taste are a sign that the success story is just beginning.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Thousand Mountains Mc Raven Single Malt Whisky.

Achim Lohner: Traditional enterprise with a future

Founded in 1912, the Lohners boast an impressive growth story of 110 years of a family bakery chain. Almost 170 bakeries with over 2,000 employees in Germany sell fresh baked goods, including cakes, to more than 60,000 customers daily. Sustainability concepts have always been considered and observed throughout the long company history. Thinking of tomorrow already today is not an empty slogan here but a practiced company philosophy. This ranges from using local suppliers, reducing energy consumption by using the latest technologies to cooperating with sustainable agriculture.

The new managing director Marc Kranz has now gone one step further. He has combined his longstanding fascination with gin with the reduction of returns from the branches. The crust of one of the top breads of the bakery, the ‘Raubritter’ (robber knight), has been used as a basis for the high-quality London Dry Gin ‘The Bread Knight’. Together with the Hubertus Vallendar Distillery, Marc Kranz and Mario Vallendar have created a unique product, as it were – a taste journey lined with juniper trees and fresh bread, accompanied by various botanicals. The partiality to traditional and artisanal procedures, coupled with great dedication, has resulted in a unique experience.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to The Bread Knight London Dry Gin.

LA SU Gin: Exotic holiday feeling in a glass

Alexander Kayser and Christopher Schuh are true gin lovers and founders of the brand LA SU Gin – a registered brand of Expo Outline Messebau und Event GmbH in Altenstadt, with Alexander Kayser as the managing partner.

After exploring many trains of thought, it was clear to both of them that it had to be exotic. LA SU Gin is a premium handcrafted gin with a hint of fruity mango. Distilled in small batches, traditionally and without additives, it is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Europe. The mango gives it a special freshness and balances the tart notes of the spices perfectly. Next to the mango, LA SU evokes a sense of travel. Enjoy a holiday feeling and discover new taste sensations. The elaborate bottle design reflects a love of detail and certainly leaves an impression.

At the World Spirits Award, bronze was achieved by LA SU *MGO* Natural Mango.

Edward Snell – Whisky from South Africa

Edward Snell founded a trading company in Durban in 1848, from which the oldest spirit company in South Africa developed over 160 years. Following an eventful history, the company is now once again in the hands of the family. Besides their own brands they also sell numerous local and international drink brands, mostly in various markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The wide range of products includes whisky, brandy, vodka, rum, gin, tequila and cognac. One outstanding label is Firstwatch Whisky with its new look, a striking, square bottle design. Consumer demand for a whisky with an American taste profile has been perfected over time and is presented today as a balanced blend of the finest imported rye and grain. Whether pure, on the rocks or mixed – its diversity makes it popular with many different target groups and successful in one of the largest spirit segments in South Africa.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Firstwatch Whisky.