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Likörfabrik Busch – Glass factory for Killepitsch and Co

Through the glass facade you can watch live as the Düsseldorf Killepitsch herb schnapps is made. 24 hours, day after day – and illuminated at night. “We planned from the beginning that there would be something exciting to see from the outside”, company boss Peter Busch says about his ‘bottle parade’. The herb schnapps has been around for 60 years, the liqueur factory since 1858, previously for many years in the Old Town, until due to a lack of space it was moved to the Medienhafen harbour. Two things were important during planning stage: the production as a presentation and energy efficiency, which is why the new building is six stories high. On 5,500 square metres there are two filling lines, one of which is fully automated.

The classic Killepitsch contains essences from 98 herbs, berries and fruits from all over the world, such as caraway, gentian root and bitter orange. The ingredients are mixed together in liquid form and matured for six weeks at 20 degrees in 20 stainless steel tanks, which hold around 700,000 litres; then the schnapps is stored for a year in old clay pots. As well as this ‘genuine Düsseldorf speciality’, Gin Pitsch Düsseldorf Dry Gin is produced, which is characterised by 18 natural botanicals and citrus fruits. The designer bottle shows the imposing Düsseldorf skyline. The third of the Düsseldorf trio is Applepitsch, a fruity liqueur made from citrus fruit distillates and the juice of untreated apples, gently combined with Vodkapitsch.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Ginpitsch and Killepitsch, silver for Applepitsch.

Kreuzritter - Elixirum Digestivum, created by masters

The beneficial effects of herbs have been known for thousands of years - from Chinese and Indian herbal medicine which focused on the digestive system to Arabic medicine and the medicines of the Middle Ages. A modern interpretation of this long-established knowledge, based on medical expertise and nutritional physiology, is offered by a physician, a nutritionist and a spirits expert from the town of Mühlen in Lower Saxony, famous for its horse-riding.

These experts set themselves the task of creating high-quality herb liqueurs and aquavits for demanding consumers using top-quality raw materials from specialist producers and based on elaborate and unusual recipes. The specialists from Lower Saxony base their concoctions of herbs, spices, aromas and essence compositions on natural ingredients.

The key to the "Kreuzritter" digestion elixir is eleven secret herbs, the effects of which were noted centuries ago in the herbal medicines of the Far East. It also contains 47 additional extracts ranging from aloe to white turmeric, renowned for their positive effects in terms of both stimulating digestion and soothing the stomach. The "Dreiling" is a typical aquavit with hints of caraway, anis, geum and the aroma of dill. It also contains a complex mix of herbs including coriander, ginger, lemongrass, fennel, orris root, camomile and mace. Its mild flavour is the result of using high-quality brandies made from wheat, rye and spelt which are stored in oak casks for over eight years. The "Herzdame" (queen of hearts) completes this trio of specialities - a fresh and fruity liqueur.

The Kreuzritter and Dreiling performed well at the World-Spirits Award, securing a silver for Lower Saxony.

Roust Hungary – Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. As the second largest vodka producer in the world, they sell over 27 million 9-litre crates in more than 80 markets every year. Roust owns production plants and distribution facilities in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli, as well as the legendary Polish vodka, Zubrówka.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has developed to become one of the leading suppliers on the domestic spirits market. The second-largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Lemongrass Flavoured Vodka, and silver for Royal Vodka.

Seven-Spirits – Attractive products with tradition and a future

Under the umbrella of Seven-Spirits there is already a collection of the finest spirits, and the portfolio is constantly being expanded to offer customers a broad choice of well-known brand-named products from all over the world. The main focus is on the search for attractive products for the future as well as reliable partners, as company director Dirk Verpoorten points out. With HirschRudel, a herb liqueur has come onto the market which has its roots with his grandmother, Elly.

In a large suitcase from her estate he found a poetry album in which she had carefully written down the recipe. Fascinated by his discovery, he tried it out and was thrilled with its taste, which is based on a unique mix of 31 different herbs. These are only macerated cold for four weeks, to retain all aromas. Maturation takes over six months – unusually long for a herb liqueur. The bottles are filled and labelled by hand and are sold in limited very small amounts.

At the World Spirits Award, the herb spirit received a gold medal.

The Ziegler fine fruit distillery is one of the sales partners of Seven-Spirits, and with their excellent products they also held a strong hand at the World Spirits Award: double gold was awarded to Aureum 1865 Cask Strength, there was gold for G=in³ Classic, and silver for Aureum 1865.