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Magi – Rivo Gin: Magic in a bottle

The mountains, the wind, deep blue water, sparkling waves – the essence of all this is captured in each bottle of Rivo Gin and it conveys the magic of this location. You can feel yourself transported to a sunny spring day on Lake Como. A light breeze brings fresh fragrances of the herbal flowers, which grow on the mountainsides. Over centuries, they have been gathered by the women in the area to make traditional medicines, some even say they have magical healing properties. ‘Foreaging’ – the art of gathering wild herbs in ‘the wilderness’ – provides a connection to nature. The special combination of plants, which have never before been joined together in a gin, resulted in the ‘aroma bouquet’ of the Rivo as a unique imprint of the natural beauty of the region.

The twelve botanicals include thyme, aniseed and lemon balm, combined with juniper, coriander, cardamom and angelica. The aromatic herbs are harvested three times a year. A lot of time and skill is needed, but it is deeply satisfying manual work. Only the finest Italian corn brandy is used, and each ingredient is separately macerated and distilled. The botanicals are used when fresh, to intensify the aroma. Magic as a theme also inspires the packaging and labelling of Rivo Gin. Geometric lines combine to form abstract elements, which are symbolic of the mountains and the waves of the lake.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for RIVO Lake Como Foraged Gin.

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.

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.

Klippenziege: New era in the world of gin

In December 2015, four friends captured the ‘spirit’ of an idea: they were thinking about gin. Nearly a year later a small batch was bottled by hand. The individuality of a gin lies in the combination of the botanicals, in this case it is the exotic selection: mate tea, goji berries, physalis and a hint of rose. The Klippenziege is a New Western Dry Gin, in which juniper plays the main role amongst the other botanicals.

It is produced in the Habbel Distillery, which guarantees excellent quality thanks to its experience – it was established in 1878 and is now in the family’s fourth generation. The former Korn distillery in Sprockhövel with adjoining farmland is now the largest fruit distillery in the Ruhr region, as a traditional manufacturer it stands out with its attention to detail. The entire manufacturing process at Klippenziege can also be observed on-site.

The bottle and the label are also special. Designer Levent Aydin drew it carefully by hand, and then digitalised it before perfecting it. First it is printed, then coated, then stamped and embossed. The elegant result stands for friendship, solidarity and love. Working together in a friendly and familiar atmosphere connects people with a passion for life who share one important belief: that the product should encourage people to slow down, allowing for mindful enjoyment.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Mate Dry Gin.