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Sláinte Irish Whiskey: Brand with a charity background

The founders of Sláinte Irish Whiskey include Liev Schreiber, an American actor and director, as well as ambassador and shareholder of Sláinte™ Irish Whiskey. In September 2022, he introduced a new premium Irish whiskey brand, with which money is collected for Blue Check. This is a collective that Schreiber co-founded which consists of experts for humanitarian crisis responses, entrepreneurs and filmmakers concerned with the needs of people affected by conflicts and who document solidarity movements against oppression.

The result is a whiskey in cooperation with the industry expert Richard Davies. The involvement of Liev Schreiber is an opportunity for the brand to establish itself quickly as a premium Irish whiskey. “This brand started promisingly with an act of charity. The barrel with old single malt donated to Richard was completely unexpected and hopefully the start of something we will do for many years.”

The unique, mild Sláinte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend (slightly sweetish grain and dry single malt) was developed by the renowned master distiller Brian Watts and distilled three times on the Green Island in County Louth, matured in American bourbon oak barrels and finished in sherry barrels.

The name Sláinte® (pronounced SLAHN-CHA) is also a wonderful Gaelic expression, used as a toast – and means nothing other than cheers!

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Sláinte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend.

Antonino Riggio - The Wonderful World of Plants

Antonino Riggio founded his company only in 2005; the business grew out of an extensive passion for lupins. The plant with its large, colourful flowers grows wild in Central Europe and elsewhere in the world, and they make a favourite meal for bees. Gardeners employ lupins to improve the soil, cattle farmers know them to be valuable fodder plants. The cultivated species are referred to as sweet lupins; they contain fewer alkaloids than their wild counterparts. The seeds, which contain almost 50% protein, would seem to provide a successful alternative to soy. Clinical studies have shown other positive medicinal effects; substances derived from lupins can protect cells and counteract cancer, as well as help control cholesterol levels.

Plant amateur Riggio followed this up with another innovative idea in 2006. He developed a bitter named "Ginseno", processed from ginseng, aromatic herbs and medicinal plants. Ginseno is available in different flavours; Naturale, Amabile, Alla Menta, and Alla Manna. The latter contains a sap extract from the Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus), which grows in Madonie, a nature reserve near Castelbuono. The dried sap contains mannite, a sugar substitute also used in pharmacology.

In future, Riggio plans further Ginseno variants, flavoured with Agrumi di Sicilia (oranges and mandarins), almonds and cactus fruit. All products are labelled "APLCEFALU" which refers to their origin: the town of Cefalù on the Northern coast of Sicily.

The trip to Carinthia to the World Spirits Award paid off: the bitter Ginseno alla Manna received a gold medal.

2B Hemp Gin: Styrian gin experience

Two visionaries, Armin Breinl (doctor, drink creator, musician) and Wolfgang Thomann (gin maker), have created a completely new gin experience with real hemp powder: 2B HEMP GIN (inspired by AEIJST). On 17th November 2018, the two invited guests to the first tasting of 2B HEMP GIN in the AEIJST GIN distillery in St. Nikolai in the Sausal Valley.

Made from organic juniper berries, this innovative gin has an impressive, mild and fruity taste and a typical hemp note. Due to its unique aroma, it not only tastes good neat, but also creates a ‘wow’ effect in cocktails – as proven in the long drink Styrian Pale Gin AEIJST refined with 2B HEMP.

For thousands of years, hemp has been grown as a valuable plant, be it for rope, fabric, paper or as an active ingredient in ointments and tinctures. Hemp has always been highly valued for its medicinal properties, yet recently has been demonised as an addictive drug and has suffered under its ensuing prohibition, originating in the USA. These days hemp is regaining importance and is being used more as a luxury food as well as in medicine as a therapeutic agent.

The Lifestyle Trading company, run by Armin Breinl, is an innovative beverage producer, which is already known amongst trade professionals for its sugar-free ‘func- tional fruit drinks’. The drinks have a high fruit content (more than 50 per cent) and additional natural, vital substances and have an energising, relaxing and regenerative effect.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for 2B HEMP GIN.