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Rhumerie de Chamarel - Rhumerie de Chamarel – A newcomer with vision

This high-quality rum from the island of Mauritius is produced in line with ecological guidelines. The products are distributed in Austria by the company Wind GmbH, based in Traiskirchen (www.wind-plast.at).

The road leads through extensive pineapple plantations and fields of sugar cane up to the distillery at an altitude of 300 m in the South-West of the island. Designed by a renowned architect, the building is elegant and authentic and a fine example of modern construction with its natural materials such as wood, stone and water. The comprehensive concept also incorporates the L’Alchimiste restaurant where up to 80 guests can savour the sophisticated regional cuisine. At the “Sugar Cane Spirit” boutique, various types of rum are on offer (White Rum, Le Coeur de Chauffe (fine brandy), Rum Paille (stored in wooden casks), Rum Arrange (flavoured with fruits and spices) as well as an exclusive clothing range, hand-made products and a small jewellery collection.

The location and climate of the fertile valley promote the growth and quality of the sugarcane. The sugarcane is harvested by hand in the early hours of the morning and processed at the mill within four hours. The fields are not normally burnt, as is usually the case, to make harvesting easier. Even when distilling at the highest modern levels of technology, nothing is wasted: the bagasse – the fibrous remnants of the sugar production process – is burnt to obtain energy. The chimney contains the very latest smoke filters and the ash is used to fertilise the fields.

The company yet again impressed at the World-Spirits Award, with one gold and four silvers.

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).

Brennerei Penth: Ideas for schnapps from Saarland

The distillery is located in the heart of Saarland, in the small village of Landsweiler in Lebach, where the Penth family have dedicated themselves to the craft of distillation since 1959. In the family tradition, master distiller and juice maker, Franz Penth, runs the business that he took over from his father in 1981. He gained his master craftsman’s certificate in Berlin, but never had special training: “I was only eight years old and I was already watching my father distilling and helping out!”

The fruit harvest means high season at the Penth Distillery: every day, mirabelle plums, damsons, apples, quinces and other fruit are delivered. Year in, year out, the still is filled up to 1,000 times, whereby about 100 tonnes of fruit yield 15,000 litres of schnapps. In his many years of experience, Franz Penth has also filled the still 1,700 times and, when the harvest was bad, only 100 times. As a speciality of the house, the products are filled into gift bottles and exquisite, decorative bottles – also bespoke ones – which are sourced from glassblowing workshop all over Germany. And so, individual customer requests for custom-made bottles for companies and clubs can be met. Aside from the classic product range of brandies, spirits and liqueurs, over recent years new products such as Agnes’ Green Dry Gin and Pastis Bernard have been developed.

The Master Class Distillery 2019 received gold for Rosehip Brandy, Pear Brandy, and silver for Agnes’ Green Dry Gin, Pastis Bernard, cask-aged Apple Brandy, Organic Riesling Grape Brandy and Mirabelle Plum Brandy.

Kafi Liqueur: Exotic and refreshing

It happened in the kitchen of the restaurant in which Sem Vermeulen was working as an apprentice chef. His tasks included cleaning the freezer. Right at the back, covered with a white layer of snow, he spotted a kaffir lime. The fresh fragrance alone inspired the idea of making a liqueur out of it. However, some years were to pass from the coincidental find to the right recipe, with a whole host of experiments. In one’s youth, of course, one neither has the budget nor the means to acquire the best equipment. This led to a partnership with Toorank International Spirits in the Netherlands, a well-known craft distiller with over 40 years of experience, offering numerous trade brands alongside their own.

Kafi was conceived by a young team that is not afraid to be different from what the market is accustomed to or demands. Their forward-looking vision aims towards new taste trends for the drinks industry and Kafi is just the beginning. It started modestly with a batch of 5,000 bottles and has only been on the Dutch market since the end of August 2021. It is made with the greatest care, from the selection of the best products to the design of the bottle. The result: something refreshing, new, and surprising. A liqueur that is not disguised with sugar but presents itself as an exotic delicacy: with fresh tartness, pleasant sweetness and subtle bitterness. Kafi is also popular among cooks and bartenders, ideal for cocktails such as Mojito, combined with ceviche or for a delicious lemon tart – the possibilities abound.

At the World Spirits Award, Kafi Liqueur was awarded silver.