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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.

Erismann Distillery – Memories of summer and autumn

In the Erismann Distillery, good craftsmanship has been a passion and obsession for four generations. The focus is always on the product, its quality and its pleasure potential, however, there is no big secret about how it is done. Aside from fruit brandies, grappa and liqueurs, special attention is also paid to gin, whisky and rum.

Many factors determine the soul of a whisky; the right grain, the ideal yeast, the most appropriate barrel. This applies to Switzerland just as much as for Scotland. That special touch is due to the raw materials from the region and their specific flavour. The whisky matures for five and a half years in a sherry barrel. Unblended, lightly filtered and uncoloured, each batch is a limited edition. “The inspiration for gin came from our threshing floor, where a layer of hay flowers often lies. We want it to convey the character of a lush farmer’s garden.” Hans Erismann wanted an honest and simple product, fine and down-to-earth. The selected botanicals (juniper berries, barberry, bay leaves, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, liquorice, cubeb pepper, hay flowers, hyssop, elderflowers, beebalm, camomile flowers, iris root and mint) are laid individually in alcohol for a few days so that their aroma can unravel. The finished gin is combined with spring water. Ron Juan is a true rum – conceived in Zurich, made in Zurich. Selected organic molasses from Paraguay, specially developed rum yeast, some Zurich air and a large amount of Zurich spring water – this is Ron Juan.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for ZH Züri Gin and ZH Züri Whisky, and Silver for Ron Juan Züri Rum.

Ehrenwert GmbH: One recipe – two families

One recipe – two families. Each family has its own carefully guarded secret recipe, and with the Lücke family this remained in the hands of grandfather Heinz and later his son Dieter for many decades. Long enough, thought sons Thomas and Christian. In any case, it is the ‘Felsenfeuer’ herb liqueur that once made the Lücke Distillery one of the most important in Münsterland. After the war they continued the success story which first began in the 18th century, with this herb liqueur, using the recipe that Heinz Lücke worked out. In the 1950s everyone was talking about it, but in the 1960s the era of the distillery and the herb liqueur ended. But not for good – 60 years later it celebrated its resurrection with the ‘Freudenfeuer’.

Whilst searching for a distillery, Thomas and Christian kept to family tradition, as their grandmother was a Sasse, and the Sasses’ fine distillery in Schöppingen is still well known today. Following a traditional recipe from 1947 the new liqueur is distilled in small batches and is bottled by hand after a ten-day rest period. Ready to enjoy: neat and ice cold like in the time of our grandfathers, or smoother, on ice with lightly pressed orange zest, or as a basis for a long drink with tonic water or ginger ale. To old times and new friends!

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Freudenfeuer.