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Johann Zauser – The pleasure of the senses with fruit in a glass

Even in his younger years, Johann Zauser busied himself by practising with time-honoured copper distillery equipment at his family’s small farmhouse in Fluh above Bregenz. In 1992, he created a distilling device with a water bath for his “Brennhüsle” distillery, located behind a townhouse. With top-quality brandies made from berries, as well as pomaceous and drupaceous fruits, he went on to be named distiller of the year in Vorarlberg ten times in the period from 1993 to 2003, and he also achieved great success at national and international tastings.

The annual quantities produced remained low, as distilling was only a part-time occupation. However, a significant amount of his free time was invested in fruit growing and distilling. Over time, his participation in quality contests reduced and took only place at certain intervals for the purpose of assessing the quality of his products. There was no need for marketing as the majority of the brandies were quickly sold to regular customers in the region and it was not even possible to meet demand.

The company has been closely collaborating with Pfanner since 2009 “in search of all things new and sophisticated, combined with quality and tradition,” as they both stress. The Zauser product range comprises 18 distillates from pear to Muscatel brandy. These are still distilled under the direction of Johann Zauser. The plant in Fluh was adapted to meet the highest technical standards in 2010. “We are very pleased to be able to utilise his extensive expertise and that he continues to monitor his life’s work with such conviction. At the same time, we see this as a commitment to the future,” explains Walter Pfanner.

A great success at the World-Spirits Award: 10th place as a World-Class Distillery in the fruit brandy category with five golds and two silvers.

Polini Distillates: From Italy around the world

As one of the biggest corporations in the D&B sector in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, the company manages an extensive portfolio of own brands and premium brands that are sold in over 50 countries.

The Polini Group Italia was founded in 1967 between the towns of Bergamo and Brescia as a family enterprise. It has adapted to market trends over the years, growing and
changing without losing its character. Knowledge of artisanal manufacturing procedures was coupled with highly modern automated production. Since the beginning of the 1990s, trade brands have been pushed which have brought the company to a leading position in the market, with more than 150 brands registered in Italy and about 20 further brands in 35 countries worldwide. In recent years, the focus has shifted to exports, concentrating on major brands and targeted investment in marketing and advertising. To support the constant growth of the markets, investments have been made in technologies and infrastructures, with the aim of covering the whole production process independently. The two Italian locations were merged into one plant in 2009, conceived with a focus on logistics and process automation. Apart from business management, administrative and trade offices and a research and development laboratory, it comprises a production plant with a capacity of 150,000 bottles per day and a logistics platform. Today 25 to 30 million bottles are produced per year.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to MySpritz, Limoncello Liberty, Higuana 12, Sambuca Iseo and Glen Forest. Silver was awarded to London Burning, Xo Brandy Riserva 14 anni vecchia rovere, Shamrose and Proud Irish Single Malt.

Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).