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Wachauer Privatdestillerie Hellerschmid: Apricots and lots more

In 1948, Franz Hellerschmid founded the private distillery in Krems with the aim of producing fine brandies and liqueurs from the Wachau apricot. The product range mostly included heavy and very sweet liqueurs, which were almost exclusively sold within the region. In 1970, Hardt Hellerschmid took over the company, completely modernised it and considerably expanded the product range and delivery area and, in 1972, set a milestone in the history of the company with the ‘B’soffene Marille’ (‘tipsy apricot’). As a representative of the third generation of the family, Bernhard Hellerschmid has been running the company since 2008.

More than twenty different spirits and non-alcoholic specialities are produced, whereby the recipes remain true to the time when the business was established. Complemented by process-optimised production processes, typical Austrian specialities have been created. With each new generation there have been innovations and changes, but over the years the handed-down recipes and the focus on local raw materials sourced from up to 50 kilometres around the town of Krems have always remained constant. The diverse product range encompasses fruits in alcohol, clear spirits, bitter schnapps, fruit liqueurs, emulsion liqueurs, alcohol-free, sweet and savoury, as well as sparkling and refreshing drinks.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Mohn-Eierlikör (poppy seed and egg liqueur), gold for walnut schnapps, blueberry brandy and raspberry spirit, and silver for apricot brandy.

Anton Riemerschmid – Premium Tea Liqueur with a history

The name Anton Riemerschmid – a company of the Underberg Group – refers to a pioneer in the manufacture of spirits. Anton Riemerschmid was an inventive citizen of the world, who devised many specialities or brought them to Germany. He travelled the world for centuries in search of new aromas and new flavour sensations. One such is also TIFFIN, a Premium Tea Liqueur distilled from selected high quality tea varieties.

The story of tea began in China around 2750 BC. Legend has it that as the Emperor Shen Nung sat in the shade of wild tea trees whilst boiling some water, the wind blew some of the tea leaves into the pot, which gave the water an exquisite flavour. Today the delicious flavour of tea is expertly combined into the production of liqueur to create a unique product with a light refreshing taste. TIFFIN tastes equally good neat, mixed or with ice, and is a market leader in Japan.

TIFFIN won Gold at the World Spirits Award.

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.