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Schwarze & Schlichte – Brand personalities from Westphalia

The family business Schwarze & Schlichte from Westphalia has been representing the highest quality spirits for the last 345 years with a distinct range of national specialities, regional traditional brands and successful international innovations. This top quality is based on a distilling tradition acquired over centuries which has been passed down over twelve generations. Even today, distilling and maceration still take place at the company’s own distillery where plenty of time and skill are invested. The selection and processing of the best raw materials and continuous control of the production process ensure a consistently high quality. One factor for success is the ongoing brand management in accordance with the specific requirements of the various brand personalities.

Three Sixty Vodka is one of the purest and mildest vodkas in the world. A fourfold distillation process ensures tangible softness and exceptional clarity while the purity of the vodka is all down to the time-consuming “Diamond Filtration” process: the finest filters are used, set with crystals like diamond dust, to remove even the smallest of suspended particles from the distillate. Even the packaging is unique: the facet-cut bottle of pure white shiny glass sets off this premium vodka to perfection. A black velvet label completes the sophisticated design.

The Grappa Bianca from Scavi & Ray is characterised by its full-bodied balanced flavour with powerful and intense aromas of marc. This crystal-clear brandy is soft and deliciously balanced thanks to the exquisite skill of the master distillery. The intense and fruity aroma is reminiscent of the sun-soaked vineyards in Italy.

Both products received a silver medal at the World-Spirits.

Yerevan Brandy Company – Ararat: Cultural heritage from Armenia

The history of wine-growing in Armenia dates back over 3,000 years, and brandy has been distilled for over 150 years. Businessman Nerses Tairjanz, inspired by his cousin Vasily Tairov, a wine-growing expert, founded a wine and schnapps factory in the capital Yerevan in 1877. His entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity were his starting capital, the natural resources lay in the ideal conditions of the Ararat valley for the quality of the grapes. In a few decades, the Armenian brandy gained recognition far and wide.

In 1899, the company was sold to the Russian merchant dynasty Schustow, a large alcohol distributer in Eastern Europe. At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, the brandy was awarded the ‘Grand Prix’ and received the right to be called ‘Cognac’. In 1922, Armenia became a Soviet Republic and the company was nationalised. It had a monopoly on the manufacture of brandy in the Armenian SSR and brought in high tax revenues over 70 years. Following the demise of the USSR and the new founding of the state of Armenia in 1991, the company lost the monopoly. In 1998, it was privatised and sold for 30 million US dollars to the Pernod Ricard Group. More than 90 percent of the products of the Yerevan Brandy Company are exported worldwide to 35 countries. The flagship brand is Ararat Brandy, of which there are varieties stored in a ‘treasure chamber’ for decades.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Ararat Ani and Ararat Akhtamar, and silver for Ararat Nairi.

Edelbrandmanufaktur Wilhelm Marx – Luxurious products from Gut Bärenhof

Deep in the Bavarian Forest lies the idyllic farm belonging to the Marx family. Only founded in 2012, the fine brandy manufacturer was able to establish itself in the expert world within a very short space of time. Wilhelm Marx, qualified fine brandy sommelier, has concentrated on innovative products, without neglecting regional classics – which have, of course, been newly interpreted. This means that rather unusual ingredients, such as ginger and lemongrass, stand alongside local strawberries, dried pears and dandelion petals. The secret of their success is easily explained: passionate handicraft, meticulous procedure and the will to experiment.

As a passionate connoisseur, Wilhelm Marx, together with his wife Birgit, has achieved his dream: delicious distillates with natural ingredients, without flavourings, colourings or preservatives. Since August 2017, the products have been certified as ecological products and thus ‘ORGANIC’ according to the Council Regulation on organic production.

The Gut Bärenhof farm itself is a natural oasis, which could hardly be more beautiful. It provides ripe fruits such as quince, rosehip, sloe and elderberry, which are carefully processed by hand in small batches. Even the fresh ginger from Asia is peeled by hand and carefully processed.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Sicilian Organic Blood Orange, gold for Coffee Spirit and GIN BayernDry, silver for Organic Wild Raspberry, Hierbas del Bávaro Bosque, Blackcurrant, Elderberry, Organic Wild Blueberry, GIN infused by Elderflower, Espresso Liqueur and GINGERLIQ, and bronze for Artichoke Bitter and Genziana d‘Oro.