World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Rhumerie de Chamarel - Rhumerie de Chamarel – A newcomer with vision

This high-quality rum from the island of Mauritius is produced in line with ecological guidelines. The products are distributed in Austria by the company Wind GmbH, based in Traiskirchen (www.wind-plast.at).

The road leads through extensive pineapple plantations and fields of sugar cane up to the distillery at an altitude of 300 m in the South-West of the island. Designed by a renowned architect, the building is elegant and authentic and a fine example of modern construction with its natural materials such as wood, stone and water. The comprehensive concept also incorporates the L’Alchimiste restaurant where up to 80 guests can savour the sophisticated regional cuisine. At the “Sugar Cane Spirit” boutique, various types of rum are on offer (White Rum, Le Coeur de Chauffe (fine brandy), Rum Paille (stored in wooden casks), Rum Arrange (flavoured with fruits and spices) as well as an exclusive clothing range, hand-made products and a small jewellery collection.

The location and climate of the fertile valley promote the growth and quality of the sugarcane. The sugarcane is harvested by hand in the early hours of the morning and processed at the mill within four hours. The fields are not normally burnt, as is usually the case, to make harvesting easier. Even when distilling at the highest modern levels of technology, nothing is wasted: the bagasse – the fibrous remnants of the sugar production process – is burnt to obtain energy. The chimney contains the very latest smoke filters and the ash is used to fertilise the fields.

The company yet again impressed at the World-Spirits Award, with one gold and four silvers.

DiGusti: Quality products from Italy to the Netherlands

Foods and beverages from Italy are the focus at DiGusti, founded in 2010 by Ingmar Berkhout. The driving force from the beginning was his great passion for food. He began with 20 products and today DiGusti is one of the largest Italian products wholesalers in the Netherlands, with more than 200 products from small manufacturers in Italy.

The company helps small farmers to sell products from their home country abroad. Quality and purity are very important when it comes to determining the range of products. The online shop is a real A to Z of Italian delicacies – from antipasti and balsamic vinegar to olive oil and truffles to ‘zoete lekkernijen’ for those with a sweet tooth. They all have a tale to tell about how Italian food has traditionally been enjoyed.

The recipes for the spirits are developed by DiGusti along with the producers. For the Limoncello, Feliciano exclusively processes big lemons in a little town on the Sorrento coast, while the Limoncioccolat by Marco is produced in a village in the mountains on the Amalfi coast.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Limoncioccolat, Limoncello and Mandarinello.

Noroi Distillery: Newcomer from Quebec

Noroi was officially opened in February 2019 in Saint-Hyacinthe near Montreal. Here, a small team of five people are experimenting with exceptional spirits. For about a year they worked on a gin recipe that combines traditional distillation and cold distillation. The cold distillation allows various aromas to be preserved, which could otherwise be altered in conventional distilling methods. An orange liqueur was also developed, which smells and tastes like freshly squeezed oranges. When the first maceration of fresh oranges was distilled, everyone was astonished by the freshness of the result – and this unique taste simply had to be shared. Just recently, another unique product was created using the best ingredient Quebec has to offer: a liqueur made from 100% maple syrup.

Noroi distinguishes itself from other distilleries primarily with its equipment and its research and development department, which is constantly working on new innovations; for example, on a distillation vat that can distil at under 0°C. Thanks to the vacuum principle it is possible to reduce the internal pressure, and thus the boiling point of the alcohol.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Maple Liqueur, and silver for Lemon & Lime Vodka and Apéritivo.