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Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

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.

myAlps: ISEL°GIN: Premium product from the Alps

This Premium Mountain Gin made in East Tyrol has been produced since 2017 by Marcel Steiner, Michael Obwexer and distiller Josef Berger. The idea behind it was to put a regional premium product on the market that went with the times yet also stood out on the vast premium gin market.

With this handmade product, all botanicals are prepared and processed by hand. The gin is distilled according to old traditions with a 100-year-old furnace, hand-fired with various types of wood, on 85-year-old Josef Berger’s farm. Uncompromising quality without additives or artificial aromas has been the philosophy here for over 60 years. All bottles are filled, and each label stuck on, by hand.

For this Alpine-Mediterranean gin, the geographical location of East Tyrol, to the south of the Alps and near the Italian border, offered quite a bit of potential for the best ingredients. Organic oranges and organic limes from Friuli, cranberries from Tyrol, native stone pine and mountain thyme give the ‘blue’ ISEL°GIN Klassik its fine aroma with a lighter juniper note. Since 2018, the ISEL°GIN BLACK EDITION has been available for friends of classic gin. Plenty of juniper, black pepper, lemongrass, rosemary and chokeberries provide a wide range of aromas and a bit more power – a perfect alternative to the classic. Production takes place in small quantities of no more than 100 litres or 200 bottles per month. Customers include bars and hotels, and it is delivered to many European countries. The fact that most customers order time and again is a good sign of their approval.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for ISEL°GIN BLACK EDITION, and bronze for ISEL°GIN KLASSIK.

Bros. J. & M. Ziegler – The art of distillation at the highest level

In Baden-Württemberg’s Freudenberg, in the idyllic landscape on the Main loop near Miltenberg, real craftsmanship takes place at the Ziegler fine fruit distillery. Everything is done with dedication and esprit – from the fruit harvest to labelling the bottles. With this special demand for quality, they have succeeded in rising to become one of the leading distilleries in Germany. These days, every connoisseur knows the name Ziegler, and the fine brandies, spirits, liqueurs, whiskies and fruit vinegars they produce.

A milestone in the 1980s was the introduction of the fine brandy Wildkirsch Nr. 1 (wild cherry), which at the same time was their foot in the door to star-rated cuisine. With cask-aged brandies and 3-litre bottles, in the following years they established themselves on the German gastronomy scene. In 2008, there followed Aureum – the first single malt whisky from Untermain, a homage to the history of the distillery, which originally began as a brewery. In the meantime, the series includes 1865 5 Year, Aureum 1865 Cask Strength, Aureum 1865 Grave Digger Edition and Aureum 1865 Grave Digger – The Bruce (both developed in cooperation with the heavy metal band ‘Grave Digger’), Aureum 1865 Chestnut Cask, Aureum 1865 Whisky Liqueur and Limited Edition Aureum 1865 Cognac Ferrand. Since 2015, a gin has been on the market, in the classic bottle as well as the metal platinum edition, a limited edition of only 3,000 units.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Saturn peach liqueur (World Spirits Award 2018 & Spirit of the Year 2018), gold for Alte Zwetschke (damson) matured in wooden barrels, Aureum 1865 Cognac Ferrand (Limited Edition), silver for Ziegler Nr. 1 wild cherry brandy 2005 limited, and bronze for mAin Kräuterlikör (herb liqueur).