World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

MBG International Premium Brands – Brands with added value

“We Love Liquids.” This slogan has accompanied MBG on its worldwide path of success since it was founded in 1993 under the name P.O.S. Marketing + Vertrieb GmbH: Strong brands have been established around the world in nearly 60 countries, with innovative own brands, renowned retail brands, great ideas and a lot of energy. With over 250 employees, the MBG Group currently generates over € 200 million and, every year, more than a million hectolitres are produced. The portfolio in Germany includes 12 own brands and 6 retail brands (from non-alcoholic drinks to low proof drinks to wines & spirits) for 90,000 customers.

“Our recipe for successful brands is the mixture of passion, conviction and knowledge of the market. If all goes well, names and products become new worlds which consumers love. Success is not always predictable, which means that courage is needed above all. The right moment has to be found and hard work put in, just like with a hit single: some are one hit wonders while others become classics.” Little can be added to this definition from Managing Director Andreas W. Herb. From the MBG Group headquarters in Paderborn, a great deal of expertise makes successful brands, tailored to the respective target group and the market segment. Many brands that are well known on shop shelves and in the gastronomy sector have played a role in the history of the company.

Participation in the World Spirits Award yielded gold for Dos Mas Nasty Nuts Shot.

LA SU Gin: Exotic holiday feeling in a glass

Alexander Kayser and Christopher Schuh are true gin lovers and founders of the brand LA SU Gin – a registered brand of Expo Outline Messebau und Event GmbH in Altenstadt, with Alexander Kayser as the managing partner.

After exploring many trains of thought, it was clear to both of them that it had to be exotic. LA SU Gin is a premium handcrafted gin with a hint of fruity mango. Distilled in small batches, traditionally and without additives, it is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Europe. The mango gives it a special freshness and balances the tart notes of the spices perfectly. Next to the mango, LA SU evokes a sense of travel. Enjoy a holiday feeling and discover new taste sensations. The elaborate bottle design reflects a love of detail and certainly leaves an impression.

At the World Spirits Award, bronze was achieved by LA SU *MGO* Natural Mango.

Evan Williams – Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey with tradition

Evan Williams founded the first commercial distillery in Kentucky in 1783. He was unable to sell his rich cereal harvest due to transport routes and so decided to use the corn to distil whiskey instead. This was easier to transport and the local water, which flows over limestone ground, gives the whiskey its characteristic flavour. Production is based on a traditional recipe including all the details specific to a small distillery. Evan Williams today owns the Heaven Hill Distilleries, the biggest family-owned distillery in the USA which was founded in the 1930s. It offers a wide range of products such as American whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, gin, brandy, cognac, etc. and is exported to 60 countries worldwide.

The classic ‘Black Label’, the second strongest bourbon in the world, matures for three times longer than is legally required. Combined with the higher alcohol content, an intensive, full and soft flavour emerges. ‘Evan Williams 1783’ is bottled after 10 years of ageing in a limited selection of casks. The ‘Single Barrel’ comes from one single cask with the number and filling date added to the bottle by hand. It is left to mature in white oak casks on the top shelves of the warehouse. Significant temperature fluctuations mean that the flavour varies from cask to cask. The Elijah Craig 12 Y is left to mature for 12 years in American holm oak casks and only 100 casks are filled each year. The company namesake lived during the 18th century and invented the Kentucky Bourbon. Legend states that he burnt down the barn in which his casks were stored. The whiskeys therefore aged more quickly and acquired a special aroma and colour.

Elijah Craig performed well at the World Spirits Award (double gold). There was also gold for the rest: Evan Williams Black Label, Evan Williams 1783 and Evan Williams Single Barrel.

HirschRudel: Herb liqueur following an old family recipe

HirschRudel herb liqueur is made using a very elaborate procedure. To achieve a perfect high-quality result of course requires plenty of dedication, therefore importance is attached to manual work. Each production comprises around 4,000 bottles of 0.5 litres, along with individual magnum bottles in very small batches. All the bottles are filled and labelled by hand with individual numbering and the filling date. Natural cork with a tin lid and the recipe complete the package. But the most important feature is of course the taste!

HirschRudel was brought to life by Dirk Verpoorten, a partner in the egg liqueur dynasty from Bonn. In his grandma Elly’s heirlooms he found an old trunk where she kept a book of mementos, in which she recorded a recipe for a herb liqueur she had created herself on the occasion of a family celebration. Dirk Verpoorten tried out the recipe and was so delighted with the taste that he decided to bring the herb liqueur back to life under the name HirschRudel in memory of his grandmother.

At the World Spirits Award, HirschRudel Herb Liqueur was awarded gold.