World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

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.

Finest Beverages: Huckleberry Gin – A homage to friendship

For more than 30 years, the experienced master distiller has run the family business in the Black For-est, now in its third generation. Behind the brand he is joined by Max and Jens, two beverage retailers from Munich. At every bottling they are all present, and each bottle passes through their hands. As well as being helping hands, this quality control is very important as the ‘fruits of their labour’ are sent out to friends in the furthest corners of the world.

The gin is a homage to their friendship and is distilled lovingly and peacefully using 22 botanicals. The name Huckleberry – another word for blueberry – reveals an important ingredient. Added to this is the typical flavour of juniper berries, but also angelica root, coriander seeds, ginger root, a little cin-namon and a hint of lavender. To make the gin fruitier, lemon peel, elderflower, hop blossom, pep-permint and raspberry are added. It is triple distilled and, as the last step, fresh raspberries and blue-berries are added, which give the gin its special berry flavour. The blueberry fragrance spreads throughout the room as it is distilled and bottled. And, at the end of a hard day’s work, everyone drinks to friendship.

At the World Spirits Award, there was bronze for Huckleberry Gin.

Levante Spirits: Tuscan gin from the amphora

The idea for the company Levante Spirits was born in Florence, inspired by the wind of the Levant, which in the past led many explorers into exotic worlds and promoted the trade of goods. This is evoked by the Old Sailor Coffee Liqueur, a drink based on rum, which recalls Adriatic seafarers at the end of the 18th century. Today it is all about innovative impulses for spirits according to traditional recipes – based on the conviction that what is truly novel can only be made using regional resources.

The navy-blue London Dry Gin is made exclusively from organic raw ingredients of Tuscan origin. The wheat for the basic alcohol comes from Mugello to the north of Florence, while the juniper – ginepraio which literally means ‘juniper thicket’ – comes from three different regions, along with coriander, angelica root, orange and lemon peel, strawflower and briar rose. The distillation in a specially constructed still is followed by a six-month refinement in environmentally friendly containers: handmade amphora from cocciopesto, a raw material made of recycled materials. It was already known in ancient Rome as a building material for baths and aqueducts. The mix of ground bricks, clay, sand, spring water, cement and natural reinforcement fibres displays a remarkable porousness after weeks of natural hardening – perfect for the refinement of texture and taste.

At the World Spirits Award, double gold was awarded to Ginepraio Amphora Navy Strength (Spirit of the Year 2022), as well as gold to Ginepraio Organic Tuscan Dry Gin.