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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.

Roust Hungary: Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands. One of the world’s leading vodka producers, the company is present in more than 80 countries. Roust owns production plants and distribution centres in Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has become the leading supplier on the domestic spirits market. The largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Zubrówka, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Original Vodka, and bronze for Royal Raspberry Liqueur.

Son Tinh – Tradition with a future

In 1993, ethnology student Markus Madeja travelled to Vietnam as a tourist – and he stayed. He went on to become a successful entrepreneur – with no start-up capital or bank loan, simply a convincing business idea. Today he has seven restaurants and a large distillery with more than 200 employees and a sales volume of 2 million dollars. Tradition is very important to him as are the Swiss virtues of quality and continuity.
His distilling started out on a small scale with 2 litre containers. His home was his production site. Following the opening of his first and second bars, the products began to gain in popularity and he decided to shift to a bigger scale. Today, the company has a modern distillery on the edge of Hanoi with a European level of technology. The secret to the schnapps: time to mature. They are produced according to Vietnamese recipes but marketed with western concepts and an innovative look: “The glass contains the soul of the schnapps but a pretty face sells it better!” The offer includes traditional herb schnapps with ginseng and other herbs and roots, sweet fruit liqueurs based on rice wine and a premium range with fruit distillates. The latter range will be expanded further in the future.
These schnapps varieties are unaffordable for the majority of the local population; a bottle costs around one tenth of the average monthly salary. However, the affluent young elite are benefiting from the economic boom and buying luxury goods. This luxury has brought about a renaissance for Madeja. He is now working with the farmers to further develop the traditional cultivation methods for the raw materials (e.g. rose apples) and the image of the products.
The World Spirits Award brought success for these exotic products: three golds for N?p Phú L?c (Phu Loc Sticky Rice Liquor), Minh Mang and B? Sa Pa.

BOAR Distillery: Appreciation as a tradition since 1844!

The roots of the small traditional distillery go back to 1844. Making use of the distillery licence dating back to that time, they began to develop a gin in 2014, using everything that their homeland offered: native, authentic ingredients in their purest form. It took over a year to find the perfect recipe. The result was a very good gin, but with a slightly bitter and sharp finish like many others. Whilst searching for a solution, they stumbled on an exciting discovery. Germany used to be a well-known truffle nation. When truffle searching was forbidden in 1935 by the German Reich nature conservation law, the black gold was forgotten about – and it only became an integral part of this gin concept much later. At the end of 2015, a discovery helped the distillers achieve their aim: the truffle removed the bitterness and sharpness from the gin, depending on the method and timing of the addition. The crowning finale had been reached – the harmony of the elements: the BOAR effect.

Mineral-rich deep spring water drenches the soil of the Black Forest and refines the ingredients into their purest form – above and below the ground. Wild-growing, natural botanicals are combined in this composition, refined and accentuated through essences of the rare Black Forest gold, the Black Forest Burgundy truffle. Handmade and distilled in small batches, this gin is an ambassador for the pleasures offered by this unique region in southern Germany.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for BOAR Gin (Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award), and silver for Berry Herb Liqueur Caliber 1844.