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Martin Miller’s Gin – Unmistakable thanks to Icelandic spring water

With a global presence in more than 55 countries on all continents, Martin Miller is the largest independent gin brand in the world – supremely award-winning and with a highly complex production. The concept originated from three friends: Martin Miller, David Bromige and Andreas Versteegh. With the super premium product at the turn of the millennium, they triggered a real gin wave and managed to create an unexpected renaissance for the spirit classic which had, at that time, rather faded away.

The unique selling point of Martin Miller’s Gin is that it is the only gin for which spring water from Iceland is used. This is much purer than any other mineral water, has a low concentration of minerals, and complements the botanicals perfectly. The classic taste profile boasts perfectly balanced hints of citrus fruits and juniper. In contrast to other gin brands, for which demineralised water is used, with Martin Miller’s Gin the surface tension is maintained, which prevents fast evaporation. The pleasing result is a soft, almost tender sensation in the mouth without any sort of sharpness.

Some tea production philosophy flows into the making of the gin, whereby the botanicals are carefully macerated over a longer period in order to extract every nuance of essential oils and aromas. This can be compared to haute cuisine, where more gentle methods of preparation are also preferred. Pure perfectionism – work and cost intensive, but the end result is a magical elixir for the new millennium.

Oasis Group – Innovation from India

The Oasis business group was founded in 1987 and has made great leaps in terms of growth in the drinks sector – with five distilleries it is currently one of the largest grain distilleries in the country. Its top position in the state of Punjab is made evident by its two state-of-the-art locations in Ferozepur and Bhatiinda, a filling facility in Sandhe Hasham-Ferozepur and a comprehensive sales system in wholesale and retail. In terms of product quality, Oasis is a big player on the emerging Indian spirit market.

At the moment, the Oasis group is active in 18 states in India and also exports to a number of countries in which Indian spirits have market relevance. The classical range includes whisky, vodka, rum, brandy and more, whereby innovative spirits are also dabbled in, such as a ‘healthy’ whisky with aloe vera, ginseng and mangosteen. In the premium product range, you will find a triple distilled vodka, flavoured with apple and orange.

At the World Spirits Award, three products from India were awarded gold: Opm Triple Distilled Vodka, All Season Whisky and 5 Star Walker Golden Reserve Whisky.

Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.

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.