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Elch Edelbrände: Brandies, whisky and beers from Franconia

Georg Kugler (born in 1977) used to stand in wonder in front of his godfather’s still as a child and wanted every single step explained to him in detail. In 2002, he fulfilled his dream: he took over his godfather’s renowned restaurant, including the distillery rights, and he added a brewery. In 2013, the now father-of-three replaced the original distillery from the 1960s with a highly modern system with one of the largest stills in the country (1,000 l).

This passionate distiller has experimented with different fermentation temperatures, distilling methods and different yeasts, and developed his own line of straight brandies that are clearly defined in taste. As one of the first fine brandy sommeliers (2012) and beer sommeliers (2013), he is fascinated by the nuances of flavours, and he also combines the worlds of brewing and distilling. And so, you can find brandies maturing in wooden casks besides Williams pear, quince and cherry brandies in historic rock caverns. A few years ago, Georg Kugler began to work more intensively with whisky. He has been producing the smoky Single Malt Whisky since 2017, for which the malt is kiln-dried for the first time over German peat. The storage in sherry, bourbon and acacia wood barrels provides the Elch whisky with its special aroma.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Fass 41, gold for Fass 1, Fass 24, Torf vom Dorf, and silver for Akazienfass Nr. 15.

Donau Origin: Gins from Bavaria with symbolic power

The young gin manufacturing enterprise in Oberhausen on the Danube defines itself thus: “We have made it our mission to reflect the way of life of our beautiful Bavarian homeland in expressive gins. Regionality, sustainability and the highest quality are just as important as honest, solid manual labour. These values are also reflected in the company logo. The three waves stand for the gins, the four fields for the founders and the shape for a glance into the pot still. The Danube is the source of our origins.”

After preparing for a good two years, at the beginning of 2021 an old machinery hall with an adjoining gravel area was turned into a distillery with a garden, local fruit trees and a meadow with two populations of bees. Everything is produced by hand at a slow pace and with attention to detail. “Pumps and plastic are banned entirely.” During the maceration of the botanicals, they work according to secret recipes, only using organically certified raw ingredients. Distilling is gentle on the aromas in a 200-litre still, then the distillates rest for over three months in a stainless-steel barrel.

The drinking strength is 42 volume percent, “because apart from the perfect ratio of aroma, texture and strength, it is also the answer to the question of life, the universe and all the rest.” Those who would like to find out more should read Douglas Adams’ cult novel ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. After maturation, the gins are filtered by means of gravity and given a last quality check before they are filled and sealed in bottles with a high-quality design.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to MORGENtau, and bronze to SOMMERwind and FICHTENgold.

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.