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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.

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Distillerie du Val-de-Travers
www.absinthemotiers.com

Christophe Racine first came into contact with absinthe production at a very young age. As an apprentice in a chemist’s he naturally was also involved in the world of moonshiners at that time and he got to know many different recipes. In 1996 he took the plunge and became a moonshiner himself – at only 18 years old. He experimented and modified, and finally he decided on a recipe from the year 1903. Today – absinthe having been legalised in the meantime of course – distillation is both his job and his passion, and his absinthe variations are meticulously worked out to the smallest detail. “La Fine” is made from 13 plants, “La Fine Verte” from 20.

Like most producers in Val-de-Travers, Christophe Racine is also a member of the specialist absinthe association. This was founded on 1 March 2005, as the production of absinthe became legally authorised again in Switzerland. Historians confirm that this is where it originates: in this valley surrounded by limestone mountains, which passes right through the Jura from Neuenburg in Switzerland to Pontarlier in France.

At Christophe Racine’s you can not only taste and buy absinthe, but also receive an insight into the production, which plants are used and much more. In addition, a wide range of accessories for the rituals concerning the mysterious drink is available: clay fountains, made by craftsmen in the region and individually designed with colours and glazes, fountains made from hand-blown glass or even stainless steel, all kinds of glasses and spoons, and a special souvenir for friends of the “green fairy”.

At the World Spirits Award, all the effort to produce an authentic product was rewarded: there was gold for the classics La Fine Verte and La Fine, and silver for La Fine Clandestine.

Kunstwerk Premium London Dry Gin: Precise – authentic – satisfying

With great attention to detail, this one is made by hand in the little town of Rösrath near Cologne. Since the beginning of 2020, Marcus Ritter has been distilling his gin at the small family distillery in the town. He is now filling the fifth small batch of his ‘gin work of art’, with just 200 bottles per distilling batch – and more will follow.

It all started with a gin seminar in Austria in 2016, where the trained carpenter and qualified architect got a taste for it. He sampled gins from around the world, but since only a few products impressed him, he made the firm decision that “One day I will bring a really good gin onto the market myself!” For him it was important to create a London Dry Gin, which can also be drunk neat, so he tinkered with the recipe for a long time. After four years, he had found the perfect mix of botanicals: aside from juniper (“a strong colour tone on our palette”), there are fresh organic lemons, rosemary, lavender from Provence, cardamom from Guatemala – and some secret ingredients.

Then just the presentation was missing. The inspiration for the label came with the first painting by his then two-year-old son in March 2020 – a work of art! “Thanks to the young artist, we not only had a strong image but also a brand name: Kunstwerk (Work of Art) Gin was born.” This basis of the current design was refined in a specially held competition. And the detailed bottle design comes from the inventor’s own pen. The development of the fine spirit took several years until it was ready for the market. Enjoyed at room temperature, neat and without ice, its aromas and botanicals unfold one after the other as a taste experience. A gin that deserves its name!

Kunstwerk London Dry Gin achieved gold at the World Spirits Award.