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Family of Hounds – Sought and found

Andrea Frigerio and his English wife, Lina, live in Monaco with their two dogs, Spot and Magda, two wonderful additions to the family. Since they started taking the two for walks in town, they have made many new friends. Andrea and Lina used to be red wine drinkers, who spent their holidays in the wine hills of Italy and France. It was only in 2013, while visiting a country estate in England, that they discovered their love for a good G & T. This developed into a passion, and their discussions soon revolved around what it would be like to create their own gin.

They tasted intensively, discarded aromas they didn’t like, and extracted the aromas they did. Together with the master distiller in an old distillery in Piedmont, they created their recipe for the gin: juniper, lemon and orange peel, pink grapefruit, lavender, thyme, cardamom, ginger and coriander. The first three ingredients come from Italy, the rest from Asia. “The juniper is really loud, like a brightly lit disco floor, and the other botanicals dance around it. Together, they are like a lively, attention-seeking dog that can’t sit still.”

In the future, they are looking to establish a small family of spirits, from gin to vodka and from grappa to vermouth – unmistakable in taste, but accessible to everyone. The core of the philosophy is going out with good friends, enjoying a good meal and even better spirits. The first step has already been taken …

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Family of Hounds Gin.

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).

DiGusti: Quality products from Italy to the Netherlands

Foods and beverages from Italy are the focus at DiGusti, founded in 2010 by Ingmar Berkhout. The driving force from the beginning was his great passion for food. He began with 20 products and today DiGusti is one of the largest Italian products wholesalers in the Netherlands, with more than 200 products from small manufacturers in Italy.

The company helps small farmers to sell products from their home country abroad. Quality and purity are very important when it comes to determining the range of products. The online shop is a real A to Z of Italian delicacies – from antipasti and balsamic vinegar to olive oil and truffles to ‘zoete lekkernijen’ for those with a sweet tooth. They all have a tale to tell about how Italian food has traditionally been enjoyed.

The recipes for the spirits are developed by DiGusti along with the producers. For the Limoncello, Feliciano exclusively processes big lemons in a little town on the Sorrento coast, while the Limoncioccolat by Marco is produced in a village in the mountains on the Amalfi coast.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Limoncioccolat, Limoncello and Mandarinello.

Suburbia Spirits: Gin as a common denominator

Tobias Fadinger and David Pointner grew up in a little suburb of Salzburg and have been friends since childhood. They have also spent many sociable evenings together where Tobias’ father, who has been in the spirits business for over 30 years, often contributed his delicious cocktail creations. This was of course a source of inspiration, and the goal was ‘to go out among the distillers and create exceptional spirits’. A lot of time and dedication flowed into the manufacturing of the drinks, bearing the name Suburbia Spirits. This stands for more than just the production of spirits, it also stands for passion and a zest for life.

The unusual chocolate liqueur is based on lemongrass gin. A bitter chocolate mash and harmonious ingredients give it a finely tangy yet sweet touch. This aromatic combination also makes the liqueur less thick than conventional liqueurs and pleasantly light on the palate. “We like to drink our gin liqueur as a shot and on the rocks, but it is also quite fitting as part of creative cocktails.”

The handcrafted lemongrass gin is not dominated by juniper, as the revitalising lemongrass gives it very fresh aromas. Blossom and citrus fruit are complemented by a hint of vanilla for a rounded aftertaste. This mix not only delights gin lovers but also gets gin newcomers into the taste. “We prefer to drink our gin on the rocks on a balmy summer evening in good company.”

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Gin mit Lemongrass (lemongrass gin), and bronze to Gin-Likör Schokolade (chocolate gin liqueur).