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Shede Spirits: Spirit of China

Shede Founder’s Tribute is the result of a partnership between Camus International and the Chinese spirits manufacturer Shede Spirits, a leading company in the premium Baijiu segment. Production takes place in the southern Chinese province of Sichuan, in a well-maintained ecology park where the traditional Tai’An workshop is located, a part of Chinese culinary heritage – the oldest fermenting pits date back to the Ming Dynasty.

Cyril Camus lived in China in the middle of the 1990s, where he got to know Baijiu. Convinced of the potential of the ‘national spirit’, he launched Kweichow Moutai on the market. The search for new taste profiles signified the birth of the brand ‘Spirit of China’ and Shede was chosen – Founder’s Tribute is its international debut.

In the selection of the raw ingredients – sorghum, rice, sticky rice, wheat, barley and maize – sorghum, the main component, provides the characteristic aroma while the others add complexity and round it off. After the harvest, the grain is steeped and steamed with hot water to open the husk. After cooling, qu is added to aid in fermentation. Fresh grains are pressed into bricks with qu and stored in warm cellars, where microbial cultures flourish. After the fermentation, the grains are removed in layers and distilled by steaming. The basic spirit matures in terracotta containers and is then mixed with 15-year-old vintage Baijiu. In accordance with the principle of ‘sacrifice to gain’, 98% of the raw distillate is sacrificed to preserve the essential 2%. The largest reserve of premium Baijiu in the world is stored in the maturation cellars – over 120,000 tons.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Sichuan Strong Aroma Baijiu – Shede Founder’s Tribute.

Aromahopping: Botanical spirit from the Odenwald forest

The “Inge & der Honigbär” gin brand is produced by Aromahopping GmbH in Mosbach (Baden-Württemberg). Behind the concept is trained chef Eric Kletti, who has been working in the region since 2017 and develops his distillates according to culinary principles. The recipes are based on combinations of flavours familiar to the kitchen. The range currently comprises nine London Dry Gin varieties, which are produced in small batches. The products are numbered.

The foundation is a grain-based alcohol in combination with spring water. Characteristic to these distillates are unusual blends of botanicals, including mandarin and rosemary, vanilla and cherry or tomato and lemon. The botanicals are handpicked and undergo sensory testing before processing. After several days of maceration, they are processed in its own small distillery. The distillates are then matured in steel tanks before being bottled at 43% alcohol by volume. Around 120 bottles are produced per batch. Labelling and packaging are also done by hand. Sale is through specialist retailers, restaurants, catering businesses and hotels, as well as selected retail partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Tasting boxes and limited special editions are also available.

At the World Spirits Award, Silver was awarded to Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 03 – Amalfi lemon, Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 04 – sage blossom & orange, Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 05 – mandarin & rosemary, Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 06 – vanilla & cherry, Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 07 – Kaffir lime & cinnamon and Inge & der Honigbär Gin NO. 09 – tomato & lemon.

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.