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Sauerländer Edelbrennerei: From hobby to successful business

Fine brandies, spirits and liqueurs have been produced in Kallenhardt for the last 20 years. The product range has been rounded off by Thousand Mountains® Mc Raven Single Malt Whisky. What started out as a hobby has developed into a successful family business. Behind it all is epicurean and businessman, Ulrich Wolfkühler, and a trip to the southern German fruit distilleries towards the end of the 1990s. Some rather poor brandies led to the declaration “We can do better!” and the decision to build up a distillery with family friends, the Wolfkühler family and the Mülheims family, to create natural products without additives – by hand.

The adventure began by acquiring the distilling rights in the year 2000. Raw materials from the region were sourced and a well was built for extracting water of the best quality. They started with a 200-litre plant in a double garage, then, in April 2016, they transferred to a renovated old sawmill. The acquisition of a 1,200-litre pot still plant made the whisky dream come true. Since then, the future of the company has been shaped by a new 1,000-litre plant for fruit distillation and an extension for bottling, dispatch and bottle storage. An expansion of the visitors’ experience area is planned as well as a barrel storage area. Traditional artisanship is combined with innovation, passion, skill and patience. The team of three with the highest demands on quality and taste are a sign that the success story is just beginning.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Thousand Mountains Mc Raven Single Malt Whisky.

Casamigos Tequila – Perfect planning and implementation

Casamigos Tequila is a small range of premium tequila, produced 100% from agaves, which grow in the red clay soil in the cool climate of the highlands of Jalisco in Mexico. This ‘Blue Agave’ – botanical name ‘Agave tequilana F.A.C. Weber’ – belongs to the asparagus family or subfamily of the agave plants. After a maturation period of around eight to ten years, the ‘heart’ of the plant weighs between 50 and 70 kilograms and is known as ‘piña’. Once the roots and leaves have been removed it looks like a huge pineapple.

These raw materials are cooked for 72 hours in the traditional stone ovens, which is much longer than with conventional tequila. The juice that is won during saccharification is very slowly fermented with its own yeasts for about 80 hours, which is twice as long as the industrial standard. It is distilled in traditional copper pot stills, then the Blanco is stored for two months, the Reposado for seven months and the Añejo for 14 months in the best American oak barrels.

The exceptional product was first presented to the public in Miami Beach, Florida, in January 2013 by its ‘discoverers’, George Clooney and Rande Gerber, whose signatures are on the label. Their statement: “Our idea was to make the best-tasting, smoothest tequila around. So we did.”

The jury at the World Spirits Award agreed with this statement and presented double gold three times: for Casamigos Blanco Tequila, Casamigos Reposado Tequila and Casamigos Añejo Tequila.

Berentzen Group: 260 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 2026, there was Gold for Tres Países Premium Rum and Silver for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin.