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Klippenziege: New era in the world of gin

In December 2015, four friends captured the ‘spirit’ of an idea: they were thinking about gin. Nearly a year later a small batch was bottled by hand. The individuality of a gin lies in the combination of the botanicals, in this case it is the exotic selection: mate tea, goji berries, physalis and a hint of rose. The Klippenziege is a New Western Dry Gin, in which juniper plays the main role amongst the other botanicals.

It is produced in the Habbel Distillery, which guarantees excellent quality thanks to its experience – it was established in 1878 and is now in the family’s fourth generation. The former Korn distillery in Sprockhövel with adjoining farmland is now the largest fruit distillery in the Ruhr region, as a traditional manufacturer it stands out with its attention to detail. The entire manufacturing process at Klippenziege can also be observed on-site.

The bottle and the label are also special. Designer Levent Aydin drew it carefully by hand, and then digitalised it before perfecting it. First it is printed, then coated, then stamped and embossed. The elegant result stands for friendship, solidarity and love. Working together in a friendly and familiar atmosphere connects people with a passion for life who share one important belief: that the product should encourage people to slow down, allowing for mindful enjoyment.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Mate Dry Gin.

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

Royal Hawaii Spirits Distillery: Authentic recipes for customised drinks

In 2015 the RHS LLC Distillery was founded and in 2018 they started with developing and producing small quantities of spirits and distilled specialities, as well as beginning sales in Hawaii. The brand was launched with nine of their most popular products: Hula Girl Lilikoi (Passionfruit) Vodka, Kona Mule Coffee Liqueur, Pineapple Spirit & Brandy, Hawaii Mule, Ginger Honey Cordial, Maui Pink Gin, Whisky Formula No. 808, Sandwich Islands Rum and Sakura Hawaiian Style Shochu.

The wholesaler for distilling and sales is in Honolulu. Small quantities are produced, based on 100% locally produced alcohol. Some spirits are available for bars and trademarks or in cooperation with other artisanal distilleries, to manufacture alcoholic drinks outside of the Hawaiian Islands. Exclusive or customer-specific recipes for bars, clubs, restaurants, spirits shops and others are also possible. The mission of RHS is to offer consumers affordable, locally produced spirits, using high-quality ingredients and supporting local farmers and enterprises. The vision of RHS is exceptional performance in the production of spirits in the federal state of Hawaii, by combining old and new European, Asian and American recipes with authentic fruits and herbs, in order to satisfy customers on the mainland and internationally with excellent spirits.

At the World Spirits Award, the Dragon Fruit Spirit Liquor and Aloha Spirit Liqueur achieved gold, while both Rum and Spirit Distilled from Pineapple as well as Rum and Spirit Distilled from Ginger achieved silver.