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Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.

Walter Trausner: New beginnings with gin

Mr Trausner’s story begins at the start of the 1990s. After studying distillery and fermentation technology, he founded the Gasser-Trausner distillery in the Lungau region in the province of Salzburg, but was forced to close it less than ten years later. At the beginning of 2000, Walter Trausner and his wife, Eva, founded the ‘Trausners Genusswerkstatt’ factory and made a name for themselves with jams and sweets. In 2015, he invented ENZO Alpin, the world’s first soft drink made from gentian. Cordials soon followed, and then a second ENZO Alpin soft drink and two spirits: a bitter liqueur based on citrus fruit and gentian, and a London Dry Gin.

From 2019, Walter Trausner once again started to apply himself to the art of distillation and combined his experience with his usual perfectionist demands of the products. As well as gin, he also plans to distil single-variety grain distillates and whisky. Each kind of grain has its own particular taste – and this advantage is used to create a suitable distillate for each grain. The regional components also play a vital role, as the Lungau microclimate and pure mountain spring water offer ideal conditions for the maturing and mashing processes.

The first distillate from the Trausner company was a classic London Dry Gin made from wheat brandy, 23 botanicals and fresh organic bitter orange peel. The recipe dates back to 1997, when the distiller was one of the first in Austria to take a chance on what, at that time, was just a novelty: gin. He currently reinterprets old knowledge from monastery distilleries and produces liqueurs using an elaborate procedure – the basis are homemade grain spirits from local types of grain.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Lungaus Gentle Giant – New Single Malt, and silver for Lungaus Gentle Giant – Herb Liqueur and Lungaus Gentle Giant – APERO Liqueur.

pre·mi·um by S. Kister

Sebastian Kister is the creative mind behind pre-mi-um by S. Kister, a company that stands for exceptional spirits. He devotes himself with great passion and dedication to producing unique brandies from hand-picked, natural ingredients. His particular focus is on spirits made from orchard fruit, which he creates with intensity and precision.

Originally from the picturesque Altmühl Valley with its rich fruit culture, Sebastian has found his second home in Vohburg an der Donau, where he produces today. His philosophy is rooted in the deep conviction that quality of life includes good food, excellent drinks and inspiring company. These values are reflected in each of his products, which are designed to impress both in terms of craftsmanship and emotion. Much more than just drinks, they are an experience. From the first aroma to the last sip, they demonstrate Sebastian’s love of detail and the authenticity of his work. Every drop tells a story of passion, craftsmanship and an unbridled joy in fine spirits. His aim is to make the world of appreciation a little richer – with spirits that not only come from the heart but also touch the heart.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Silver (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Double Gold for Altmühltaler Arancello (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025), Altmühltaler Speculator and Altmühltaler Limoncello, Gold for Liqueur Royal, and Silver for Vohburger Nusserl.