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Berentzen Group: 250 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin and Tres Países Premium Rum.

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).

Nordbrand Nordhausen: Special spirits from Thuringia

Nordbrand Nordhausen was founded in 1948 upon the ruins of four former Korn distilleries. The oldest, the Friedrich Degen distillery, goes back to the year 1776. Until 1990, formerly small distilleries were added on, including Brennerei Seidel. Today it is the traditional distillery of the well-known Echter Nordhäuser brand. Gins and caraway are distilled in this historical area. The famous Roggenkorn (rye) is made in a distillery that was built in the 1920s as a German spirits reutilisation centre and has also been part of Nordbrand Nordhausen since 1948.

The market leader in Germany in various segments has a wide product range (over 100 different variants). A line of premium spirits and premium liqueurs under the brand Echter Nordhäuser Traditionsbrennerei are distilled by hand. These include Feiner Alter Doppelkorn with at least three years of barrel maturation as well as Meisterstück, a Korn brandy (grain distillate) matured in the barrel for 25 years, which came onto the market in September 2020 as a one-off. The portfolio also includes various gins of the Echter Nordhäuser brand, including Violet Gin. A specific recipe was developed for this that merges a juniper distillate with one made of hibiscus, lavender and mallow blossoms. The harmonious brandy is rounded off with oranges and raspberries, which are added in an aroma basket for distillation. In this way, experienced Korn master distillers can always keep creating modern and fresh innovations.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Meisterstück, and bronze to Violet Gin.

Carpenè Malvolti – Sparkling wine specialist with a sideline in distillates

In 1868, Antonio Carpenè laid the foundations for the internationally successful company it is today. The champagne enthusiast was convinced that he would be able to produce a similar cult beverage with the local Glera grape, harvested from the wine hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. That this has been accomplished for almost 145 years is confirmed by the huge popularity of the sparkling wines and the high export percentage of 56%. Although 5% of production is of distillates in the form of brandy and grappa, they only form a small segment of the business next to the 95% made up of sparkling products. However, they are just as successful due to the long experience in the distillation industry since 1868.

In 1972, Etile Carpenè joined the company and became the fourth generation to take over its management. He has always had the same passion for the mixture of tradition and progress, as well as being the great innovative impulse behind the continuous success of the company. The company’s headquarters are located in the famous wine town of Conegliano in Veneto, about 40 kilometres to the north of Venice. A second winery is in Follina in the middle of the Valdobbiadene region. Here, besides the well-known DOCG Prosecco Superiore, distillates are also manufactured, and they are only released onto the market after a long maturing period in oak barrels.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Brandy 15 anni, and silver for Grappa di Prosecco.