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Kunstwerk Premium London Dry Gin: Precise – authentic – satisfying

With great attention to detail, this one is made by hand in the little town of Rösrath near Cologne. Since the beginning of 2020, Marcus Ritter has been distilling his gin at the small family distillery in the town. He is now filling the fifth small batch of his ‘gin work of art’, with just 200 bottles per distilling batch – and more will follow.

It all started with a gin seminar in Austria in 2016, where the trained carpenter and qualified architect got a taste for it. He sampled gins from around the world, but since only a few products impressed him, he made the firm decision that “One day I will bring a really good gin onto the market myself!” For him it was important to create a London Dry Gin, which can also be drunk neat, so he tinkered with the recipe for a long time. After four years, he had found the perfect mix of botanicals: aside from juniper (“a strong colour tone on our palette”), there are fresh organic lemons, rosemary, lavender from Provence, cardamom from Guatemala – and some secret ingredients.

Then just the presentation was missing. The inspiration for the label came with the first painting by his then two-year-old son in March 2020 – a work of art! “Thanks to the young artist, we not only had a strong image but also a brand name: Kunstwerk (Work of Art) Gin was born.” This basis of the current design was refined in a specially held competition. And the detailed bottle design comes from the inventor’s own pen. The development of the fine spirit took several years until it was ready for the market. Enjoyed at room temperature, neat and without ice, its aromas and botanicals unfold one after the other as a taste experience. A gin that deserves its name!

Kunstwerk London Dry Gin achieved gold at the World Spirits Award.

Krater Spirits: 400 years of tradition in Nördling

In the year 1621, the Alerheim innkeeper Caspar Beck received the entitlement from the ruling count at Oettingen ‘to brew beer and to run a brandy house’. This inheritance was continued by the family and supplemented by a herb liqueur with ginger and peppermint, which was launched on the market in 2013. The name ‘Kraterfeuer’ (Crater Fire) is due to its warming pungency. In 2015, Bavarian Krater Noster Distilled Dry Gin was added, for which wild juniper berries from the wild heath Rieser Heide were used, selected by hand on the edge of the crater that was formed 14 million years ago with the impact of a meteorite.

Since 2020, there is also Full Moon Krater Noster Distilled Dry Gin, a homage to the Apollo astronauts who trained here in 1970 for their voyage to the moon. NASA had sent them to Bavaria to prepare them for their mission in similar geological conditions. The suevite rock in the Ries region was fby that meteorite‘s impact – like the moon craters visible from Earth. Therefore, the Full Moon edition was composed with wild juniper berries from the edge of the crater and beguiling moon plants such as sweet-tart meadowsweet.

Krater Spirits has become a family project involving everyone. Sustainability as forethought for the forthcoming generations is practised in everyday life: the energy for manufacturing the products and heating the buildings comes from renewable sources.

At the World Spirits Award, double gold was awarded to Kraterfeuer, gold to Bavarian Krater Noster Distilled Dry Gin, and silver to Full Moon Krater Noster Distilled Dry Gin.

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.