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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).

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.

Juniper Tree Trading: The Spy Gin

This London Dry Gin was born out of a special passion for gin, combined with the raw beauty of the Swabian Alb and carefully selected botanicals such as coriander, cardamom, orange and lemon peel, cloves, ginger, and others. A long time was spent deciding on a name, labels, logo, bottle, content and much more, as owner Peter Frey remembers:

“My master distiller has over 20 years’ experience in making gin and has achieved absolute harmony when it comes to maceration and the interaction of the botanicals. Following distillation and the reduction of alcohol to drinking strength, the gin is bottled, with only 250 bottles per batch, labelled by hand and wrapped in black tissue paper to give The Spy an air of secrecy. The corks are also handmade and each is branded with the logo using a lever press and branding iron – it shows the spy of Aalen with his beard and pipe, who watches over the inhabitants of the town from the town hall on the market square – and this is how the tale goes.”

As the imperial cities were in conflict with the Emperor, his army was already camped outside the town. The frightened people of Aalen sent the cleverest man to the enemy camp to determine the strength of the troops. The spy was caught and brought before the Emperor. When asked what he was doing there, the spy answered, “Do not be startled, Lord, I just wanted to see how many guns and such you all have. You see, I’m the spy from Aalen.” The Emperor laughed at his candour and pretend simplemindedness and piled gifts on him, letting the inhabitants know that it was his pleasure to live in peace alongside such clever and brave people and forgiving the town fathers.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for The Spy Gin.

Edelbrände Ostermann: Old recipes and new creations

Dietmar Ostermann grew up with fruits and the aroma of fine distillates. He has always been interested in distillation. His father’s experience and the skills he learnt at the University of Hohenheim have helped him to implement his ideas, yet he is convinced that the art of distillation can only be learnt through first-hand experience. The senses cannot be taught which path to choose, they need to learn to work it out on their own.

From the outside, the distillery in Sulzbach-Rosenberg in Upper Palatinate doesn’t look like a place where fine distillates are created. The passion for distillation began a long time ago, with great-grandfather Peter in the 1920s. Father Franz ignited the spark in his son Dietmar to carry on the tradition, which was taken on with a modern licensed distillery in 2018. The repertoire has been continued and expanded with his own creations. The bases are either fruit distillates such as damson, Williams pear, raspberry, sloe or blackcurrant, or liqueurs with fruits or herbs. A London Dry Gin with botanicals from the Jura Mountains is one of a number of innovations. This father-son project took shape while another herbal liqueur was in the making. “It’s a lot of fun to develop something new and to experience the explosion of aromas in the distillery when they are set free during maceration and distillation.”

Their own beverage speciality market supports the success of regional direct marketing, and their online shop is also an important factor in helping to make the brand of OSTERMANN Edelbrände better known.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Blackcurrant Spirit, Wild Raspberry Spirit, Hazelnut Liqueur and Damson Brandy Liqueur.