World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

United Spirits Limited – A market leader in India

Whisky, brandy, rum, gin and vodka are the flagship products of USL, the largest spirits company in the world. Its history dates back to the 19th century and the country’s British-influenced history. In addition to its 100% subsidiaries Whyte & Mackay and Bouvet Ladubay, brands such as McDowell’s, Bagpiper, Dalmore, Jura, Black Dog, Signature, Antiquity, Royal Challenge, DSP Black, Director Special, Old Tavern, Haywards, No.1 Brandy, Honey Bee, McDowell VSOP Brandy, No.1 Celebration Rum, Old Cask Rum, Pinky Vodka, Romanov Vodka, White Mischief Vodka, Vladivar Vodka and Four Seasons are also part of the comprehensive portfolio. More than a million cases from 22 of the approximately 140 brands in total are sold each year.

Over 165 awards in international competitions emphasise the high quality of the products: Mondial, International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), International Spirits Challenge (ISC), World Beverage Competition (WBC), Monde Selections, Mundusvini, International Taste & Quality Institute (ITQI), Beverage Tasting Institute (BTI), The Scotch Masters, Vodka Masters England, etc.

USL is a true innovator, as in the case of the first ‘pre-mixed gin’. It was also a pioneer of spirits sold in cardboard cartons in India and produced the first Single Malt in Asia to be based on the Scottish tradition and the first ‘diet versions’ of whisky and vodka in India. The company’s products are exported to 37 countries across the world, and in India itself, distilleries and sales offices are distributed across the country, encompassing a team of over 7,500 people. A well-equipped Technical Centre was established in 1989 where scientists from different fields work on quality assurance and innovation – chemists, microbiologists, biotechnicians and nutritional experts. Top quality standards for the numerous production sites are also developed here.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for the White Mischief Ultra Pure Vodka.

Pemberton Distillery - Power of potatoes

The fertile Pemberton Valley, an impressive area of natural beauty in British Columbia, is renowned for its potatoes. In the summer of 2002, the brothers Tyler and Jonathan Schramm were talking about what else could be made from these simple yet excellent raw materials at their small family farm, apart from seed and eating potatoes. And so they came across the ideal basis for vodka making: organic potatoes and glacier water from the region.

Tyler Schramm gained the technological expertise he needed during his studies at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. He wrote his dissertation on vodka production and developed the original recipe for the "Schramm Vodka". Back in Canada, he went on to set up a distillery which the three brothers Tyler, Jonathan and Jake ran themselves during winter 2008 along with an energy-saving heating and cooling facility.

In spring 2009, the first attempts at distilling began. They used five types of potato which were processed unpeeled so as to retain the aromas - unlike the industrially produced "neutral-tasting" vodka. In July 2009, the first batch of vodka was produced and supplied in elegant bottles. It is the only certified organic vodka in the world made from potatoes and has been selected as the "Olympic Spirit" for the Winter Games of 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler. Of course, there are also plenty of plans for the future: in summer 2010, a single malt will be developed from organic cereal grains - using a careful hands-on process of course. This will then be stored in oak casks for five to ten years before being bottled.

The vodka certainly hit the mark at the World-Spirits Award: all the hard work paid off - the product was praised for being an "example we can all learn from" by the jury and was awarded two golds.

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.

Edward Snell – Whisky from South Africa

Edward Snell founded a trading company in Durban in 1848, from which the oldest spirit company in South Africa developed over 160 years. Following an eventful history, the company is now once again in the hands of the family. Besides their own brands they also sell numerous local and international drink brands, mostly in various markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The wide range of products includes whisky, brandy, vodka, rum, gin, tequila and cognac. One outstanding label is Firstwatch Whisky with its new look, a striking, square bottle design. Consumer demand for a whisky with an American taste profile has been perfected over time and is presented today as a balanced blend of the finest imported rye and grain. Whether pure, on the rocks or mixed – its diversity makes it popular with many different target groups and successful in one of the largest spirit segments in South Africa.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Firstwatch Whisky.