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Vesterhavsmost: Danish specialities made of apple cider

The TONOW Distillery is part of the family-run Vesterhavsmost & Laubjergs Planteskole in western Denmark, near the North Sea. This is where the family started with the cultivation of various berries and apples at the beginning of the 1980s, later they added plums, elderflower and walnuts. The distillery was first registered as a wine producer to be able to work with the raw material. All the fruits are processed into juices and spirits, from the fruit to the finished bottle, all at the same site.

Vesterhavsmost is much more than an apple plantation for juice production. The company focuses on monovarietal juices, from classics to new, intensive varieties, to preserve the characteristic taste and to emphasise the typical aromas. The apples are picked by hand and processed within two days. The dried pressed residue is used for bread, muesli and so on. Their own orchard allows full control of perfect quality. The marine climate ensures a long ripening time and plenty of natural acidity. The centrepiece of the production is a product range comprising Eau de Vie, barrel-matured brandies and liqueurs. TONOW® Eau de Vie is the result of distilling apple cider. They work with a Müller Aroma® distiller, which is perfectly suited to extracting the aroma profile. The raw spirit with 83 volume percent matures in steel tanks and is later reduced to 42 volume percent – with water from their own site with protected groundwater.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for TONOW® Eau de Vie Cox Holstein and Apple Liqueur (Pommeau).

Weingut Schneeberger: Gin from Southern Styria

At the Schneeberger vineyard in Southern Styria, wine has been produced since 1870, and is now in the hands of the family’s fifth generation. The excellent farmhouse tavern shows off the hosts’ many skills, with diverse regional products and homemade products of the highest quality. These range from farmhouse bread to dry-cured juniper ham. And gin is just the thing to go with it.

As well as traditional ingredients such as juniper, ginger, oranges, pepper and coriander, Styria Dry Gin also contains some very special regional botanicals such as Leutschach hops and Sausal lavender – a total of 27 different herbs, spices and fruits. Some of the ingredients grow in the herb garden on the estate, others grow wild in the countryside. Following several days of maceration, some botanicals are extracted during distillation in copper pots in order to give the gin its typical character. Following distillation, it is stored for a few weeks in stoneware containers. Finally, the gin is diluted to drinking strength with very soft spring water. So as not to endanger the complexity and fine aromas, it does not receive cold treatment, merely a rough filtration before being filled into bottles. “We are a Batch Distillery, which means that each batch that is distilled is bottled separately, without being blended. In this way, there are subtle differences from batch to batch,” explains Johann Schneeberger Jr.

The new Hansi Gin is classical and traditional and is stripped back to the essentials. It is based on ten botanicals, has slightly more alcohol and is perfect for gin & tonic.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Styria Dry Gin, silver for Hansi Dry Gin, and bronze for Williams Pear.

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.