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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.

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).

Rum Company – Simply the smoothest

Spencer Antle, founder of the Island Company in Florida, had the idea for a rum to fill a niche in the luxury rum market. “I wanted to create a rum that appeals to women and men alike. On my travels through the Caribbean, I noticed that women are not particularly keen on rum. Drunk neat, it is simply too harsh for many, and in a mixed drink, too overpowering.” Following the motto ‘simply the smoothest’, he created a rum that is mild and smooth – and practically disappears in every tropical cocktail. The light (blond) rum is not at all ‘invisible’ in its elegant, slim bottle with the (sea) blue cap – a real eye-catcher!

The Island Company Rum is produced in Trinidad, is distilled five times and matures for three years. With a hint of vanilla and wild honey – without sugar, gluten or carbohydrates – it can be enjoyed at any time. For this small escape from day-to-day life you don’t have to be on the beach or on a sailing boat in the Caribbean.

The newest luxury product from the innovative company is the Island Company Rum Cake, a rich cake with – not surprisingly – a hint of vanilla and honey.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Island Company Rum.

Dons of Gin: Redevelopment of a classic

Two friends tell the story of how they arrived at their own gin: “We were in Paris, the city of love. Our wives had gone out and we were minding the children. When they were fast asleep, we pursued our favourite hobby: sampling gins, on this occasion local French ones. It was then that we decided to create our own London Dry Gin, without an overtone but with the rarely used Schinus berries, the fruit of the Brazilian pepper tree. This crackpot idea resulted in our first gin and many samplings and tastings followed with friends in order to determine where to go with the taste. With our master distiller, we then went into detail and reduced the botanicals – including ginger, lime and lemon zest – to show that sometimes less complexity is required, just like in life. The result is a gin with 18 botanicals that stimulates our senses and releases new nuances with every sip.”

The Dons of Gin want to appeal to all those who value a relaxed atmosphere with their loved ones, who like to slow down and enjoy carefree time together. Of course, a good gin is part of this, whether pure or with an Indian-style tonic water. The two of them know a lot about this and have put together quite a little ‘library’ – from the history of gin and different types to cocktails and food pairing.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Dons of Gin.