World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

De Kuyper Royal Distillers: Liqueur specialist with a long tradition

Founded in 1695 by Petrus de Kuyper, the renowned company received the title of ‘Royal Distillers’ on the occasion of Queen Beatrix’ 300th birthday. These days the spirit producer, now in its tenth generation, is one of the ten oldest family businesses in the Netherlands. The headquarters is the large distillery in Schiedam, and Mark de Witte is the CEO of the company.

The portfolio covers a wide selection of premium cocktail liqueurs and premium spirits. The focus products are De Kuyper liqueurs as the backbone of the business, Rutte Gin & Genever, botanical experts since 1872, the cognac liqueur Mandarine Napoléon, Peachtree, the only real peach liqueur in the world, Cherry Heering Liqueur, founded in 1818 and known worldwide as Cherry Brandy, and Bébo, a Cuban coffee liqueur.

The company, with over 100 employees, is world market leader in cocktail liqueurs with exports to 100 markets worldwide and a total volume of three million 9-litre containers. Key markets are the Netherlands and the USA, the largest cocktail market in the world, as well as further influential European and Asian markets, such as Great Britain, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Rutte Dry Gin (Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award 2019), gold for Rutte Celery Gin and Rutte Sloe Gin, and silver for Rutte Old Simon Genever, Bébo and Mandarine Napoléon.

Vánagandr – Great quality from a small business

This is a real cottage industry, as the distillery in Cambre in the north-west of Spain only covers 200 m². This doesn’t mean, however, that the strict regulations and legally required controls for the spirit industry don’t apply here. The company is of the highest standard: distillation is based on old Galician traditions and carried out over direct heat in a copper boiler from the best Portuguese coppersmiths, with a few modern modifications.

The alcoholic base for the London Dry Gin comes from triple distilled wheat of only the best quality. This also applies to the carefully selected botanicals: juniper, angelica root, Cassia cinnamon from Indonesia, orris root from Eastern Europe, coriander seeds, orange and lemon peel from Spain, cardamom from Guatemala, nutmeg from Indonesia, liquorice from Turkey, Ceylon cinnamon and a few other secret ingredients – as with all gin producers. The water that is used for the entire production process is one of the best drinking waters in the whole of Spain. Distillation takes place very slowly, over about 12 to 14 hours, which means a total of only about 440 bottles a day. Filling, sealing, labelling, signing and numbering is done manually. “I mostly work alone, although sometimes my wife helps me since we don’t have anyone else at the moment. This means that absolutely everything that is in these bottles has passed through my hands”, says director Enrique Pena. Not only these bottles are in a class of their own, the especially designed label also catches the eye with a mythology-inspired motif.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Vánagandr London Dry Gin.

Berentzen Group: 250 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin and Tres Países Premium Rum.

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.