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Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has several top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery, in addition, Mo Chara Passionfruit & Mango Gin from the Old Carrick Mill.

The Blackwater Distillery has been an Aldi partner since 2016 and developed the private label Boyle’s Gin exclusively for the Irish and British retail market. The product volume of the Blackwater Distillery for Aldi has risen strongly in recent years, whereby 140,800 bottles of the gin series were sold in 2018. The successful gin brand is manufactured in Blackwater Valley, West Waterford, with selected imported ingredients as well as regional apples, blackcurrants and elderflower. CEO Peter Mulryan – former TV producer and author of the book ‘The Whiskeys of Ireland’ – explains, “The partnership with Aldi has helped us to increase turnover enormously, and also to have the security to invest and expand. This includes on-site bottling facilities and a visitor centre.” Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery got its name from the region in County Cork where the malted barley comes from, and is only manufactured in small batches. The business was founded in 2003 by childhood friends who started out with only two small stills they had bought in Switzerland. Now the largest distillery in the country, it currently employs over 80 staff and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Ardfallen 10 Year Old Whiskey and Boyle’s Gin, and Silver for Boyle’s Sloe & Damson Gin and Ardfallen Whiskey.

Ehrenwert GmbH: One recipe – two families

One recipe – two families. Each family has its own carefully guarded secret recipe, and with the Lücke family this remained in the hands of grandfather Heinz and later his son Dieter for many decades. Long enough, thought sons Thomas and Christian. In any case, it is the ‘Felsenfeuer’ herb liqueur that once made the Lücke Distillery one of the most important in Münsterland. After the war they continued the success story which first began in the 18th century, with this herb liqueur, using the recipe that Heinz Lücke worked out. In the 1950s everyone was talking about it, but in the 1960s the era of the distillery and the herb liqueur ended. But not for good – 60 years later it celebrated its resurrection with the ‘Freudenfeuer’.

Whilst searching for a distillery, Thomas and Christian kept to family tradition, as their grandmother was a Sasse, and the Sasses’ fine distillery in Schöppingen is still well known today. Following a traditional recipe from 1947 the new liqueur is distilled in small batches and is bottled by hand after a ten-day rest period. Ready to enjoy: neat and ice cold like in the time of our grandfathers, or smoother, on ice with lightly pressed orange zest, or as a basis for a long drink with tonic water or ginger ale. To old times and new friends!

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Freudenfeuer.

Gin of Hearts: Social project as a homage to Ghana

The former German national football team player Gerald Asamoah launched a gin project in autumn 2021 along with Michaela Habbel and his friends Timo Marner and Jens Conrad. The name Gin FOURTEEN is a reference to Gerald’s jersey number 14, which has a great significance for him. Due to his professional career, especially at FC Schalke and as a football manager, Gerald Asamoah feels a close bond with the Ruhr region. He wasn’t actually a gin drinker, but he came into contact with the subject through a thank-you project for donations to his foundation for children with heart conditions. The foundations of Gin FOURTEEN were laid back then and positive feedback led to the idea of making it accessible to a wider public.

The production avoids artificial aromas and additives, using ingredients from responsible and sustainable cultivation. Mango and papaya are typical fruits for Gerald Asamoah’s home country of Ghana – the gin is a homage to his homeland and Africa. It is made at the Heinrich Habbel Distillery in the southern Ruhr region. Every bottle supports social projects, including the ‘my Boo Ghana School e.V.’, which enables children in the Ashanti region to attend school and was created by staff at my Boo GmbH, which along with the Yonso Project in Ghana makes bamboo bicycles in Ghana and Kiel.

Franco Fiorito: Limoncello from the Netherlands

With Fiorito, the Dutch brothers Benno and Franco Fiorito have created an exceptional Limoncello and fulfilled a dream at the same time. The recipe is based on an old family tradition which they became familiar with on a visit to the Italian island of Sicily. Back home, the first Limoncello was handmade at the kitchen table. From this moment on, a dinner with friends was always rounded off with homemade Limoncello.

They soon began to ask themselves whether the Limoncello should also be put on sale, and they decided to produce it in larger amounts. And so, while the hobby turned not only into a job but into a calling, the products continued to be handmade. The brand name Fiorito was born; an authentic product in a stylish, modern bottle. These days, the successful portfolio also includes Fiorito Rum and the Li brand in various flavours, as well as Fiorito Limoncello.

The base for the mild, fresh liqueur made according to the family recipe are the best lemons from Sicily, the Limone di Siracusa IGP. The fruits are picked, selected and peeled by hand. In this way, the wafer-thin zest can unfold its full, natural aroma. Fiorito tastes good ice-cold and neat as a digestif, with prosecco as an aperitif or with tonic water and basil as a long drink.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Fiorito Limoncello.