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Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).

Rick Spirit: Organic gin made in Austria

After much trying and testing, master distiller Patrick Marchl has brought three varieties of organic gin onto the market: after Rick Rich, the fruity, lemony gin, and Rick Brave, the strong gin with juniper, pepper and ginger, the Mediterranean, summery Rick Feel followed. Rick is a premium organic gin, handmade from pure-ly certified organic ingredients. The focus lies on the highest quality of all raw materials as well as on regionali-ty and sustainability. Only small batches are produced using modern distilling technology.

Production takes place in the southern Styrian village of Gamlitz according to the highest quality standard, London Dry. After his many journeys around the gin world – from England to America – the connoisseur and ‘Gintleman’ decided that home is best, and that his homeland needed a really good gin. “A classic, which leads back to the basics but catapults you into another world with its variety of flavours. A bit like the past meeting future. That was the decisive factor in my motivation for creating a recipe. The gin Big Five – juniper berries, coriander, angelica root, lemon and orange peel – were mixed with dozens of other botanicals such as ginger, liquorice, lemongrass, Kaffir limes and jasmine, to name but a few.”

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Rick Feel Mediterranean Gin, and silver for Rick Rich Dry Gin and Rick Brave London Dry Gin.

Hartingowe Brennerei: Gin, with a difference

When Nico and Marco Martinato opened the doors to their gin distillery in 2020, they had no intention of bringing ‘just another gin’ onto the market. The idea was to create a memorable gin with a distinctly alternative character that would awaken and stimulate all the senses.

The secret of a good gin lies in the selection of the best ingredients, which account for at least 80 percent of the finished quality. In addition to the recipe, aroma-preserving distillation and maturation play an important role, but an outstanding end product is based on the uncompromising selection of the highest quality botanicals. Besides juniper from Piedmont, these include coriander from Morocco, cubeb pepper from Java, allspice from Jamaica, cloves from Madagascar, calamus from India, oranges from Sicily, lemons from the Amalfi Coast, rock roses from Portugal, and sloes, herbs and spruce buds from the mountains and foothills of Harz. Moreover, the quality of the water used plays an enormously important and often overlooked role. The distillery is located on the edge of the Harz Mountains and is blessed by nature with pure and very soft water directly from the mountain springs: ‘made by the Harz Mountains’.

In addition to London Dry Gin and other gin variations, the family distillery produces other fine spirits made from wild fruits and exclusive herbs. A classic absinthe verte made from home-grown wormwood is also part of the repertoire of the passionate uncle and nephew team.

At the World Spirits Award, Hartingowe Sloe Gin won gold and Hartingowe Dry Gin silver.