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Ironworks Distillery – Handmade in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is the second smallest province of Canada and is located on the Atlantic coast. In the historic port of Lunenburg – the home of the famous Bluenose schooner – Pierre Guevremont and Lynne MacKay founded their distillery in 2010. It is located in a small house dating from the 19th century, which previously housed a smithy, and because it has retained the character it carries the name ‘The Blacksmith’s Shop’. Where once ‘hardware’ was hammered for the Bluenose schooner, now vodka, gin, rum, brandy and liqueurs are produced in small batches. One speciality is Canada’s only vodka made from apples, but the bottled pears – 400 to 500 a year – also reflect commitment to the region.

Ironworks is a distillery with a clearly defined philosophy: ‘Made in Nova Scotia = Jobs in Nova Scotia’. The products are produced by hand from start to finish and personally monitored at every phase. Great value is attached to high quality ingredients from the region: apples, pears, berries, grapes or rhubarb, which come from their extensive partner network – and travel no more than 150 kilometres. The molasses for the rum is imported from Guatemala. The cellar has a capacity for 30,000 litres, and at the moment there are about 200 oak barrels stored there.

At the World Spirits Award, the handmade products were convincing: there was gold for Ironworks Apple Brandy and Ironworks Gin, silver for Ironworks Aged Pear, Ironworks Rum and Bluenose Rum.

BOAR Distillery: Appreciation as a tradition since 1844!

The roots of the small traditional distillery go back to 1844. Making use of the distillery licence dating back to that time, they began to develop a gin in 2014, using everything that their homeland offered: native, authentic ingredients in their purest form. It took over a year to find the perfect recipe. The result was a very good gin, but with a slightly bitter and sharp finish like many others. Whilst searching for a solution, they stumbled on an exciting discovery. Germany used to be a well-known truffle nation. When truffle searching was forbidden in 1935 by the German Reich nature conservation law, the black gold was forgotten about – and it only became an integral part of this gin concept much later. At the end of 2015, a discovery helped the distillers achieve their aim: the truffle removed the bitterness and sharpness from the gin, depending on the method and timing of the addition. The crowning finale had been reached – the harmony of the elements: the BOAR effect.

Mineral-rich deep spring water drenches the soil of the Black Forest and refines the ingredients into their purest form – above and below the ground. Wild-growing, natural botanicals are combined in this composition, refined and accentuated through essences of the rare Black Forest gold, the Black Forest Burgundy truffle. Handmade and distilled in small batches, this gin is an ambassador for the pleasures offered by this unique region in southern Germany.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for BOAR Gin (Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award), and silver for Berry Herb Liqueur Caliber 1844.

Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.