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Roust Hungary: Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands. One of the world’s leading vodka producers, the company is present in more than 80 countries. Roust owns production plants and distribution centres in Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has become the leading supplier on the domestic spirits market. The largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Zubrówka, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Original Vodka, and bronze for Royal Raspberry Liqueur.

Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has several top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery, in addition, Mo Chara Passionfruit & Mango Gin from the Old Carrick Mill.

The Blackwater Distillery has been an Aldi partner since 2016 and developed the private label Boyle’s Gin exclusively for the Irish and British retail market. The product volume of the Blackwater Distillery for Aldi has risen strongly in recent years, whereby 140,800 bottles of the gin series were sold in 2018. The successful gin brand is manufactured in Blackwater Valley, West Waterford, with selected imported ingredients as well as regional apples, blackcurrants and elderflower. CEO Peter Mulryan – former TV producer and author of the book ‘The Whiskeys of Ireland’ – explains, “The partnership with Aldi has helped us to increase turnover enormously, and also to have the security to invest and expand. This includes on-site bottling facilities and a visitor centre.” Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery got its name from the region in County Cork where the malted barley comes from, and is only manufactured in small batches. The business was founded in 2003 by childhood friends who started out with only two small stills they had bought in Switzerland. Now the largest distillery in the country, it currently employs over 80 staff and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Ardfallen 10 Year Old Whiskey and Boyle’s Gin, and Silver for Boyle’s Sloe & Damson Gin and Ardfallen Whiskey.

Tarpa Manufaktúra – Tradition and trend from North Hungary

Tarpa was first documented for its fruits in a chronicle dating from as long ago as 1755. The village in the province of Szatmár on the banks of the river Tisza has a long-standing tradition in fruit processing and its fruit purées, in particular, are legendary. Over time, the fruit-processing began to disappear and the old recipes were quickly forgotten. The manufacturing company Tarpa Manufaktúra was established in 1996 against this background with the aim of re-instating the local culinary tradition, using regional raw materials. Today, the top quality product range includes about 40 organically certified products which are sold in many EU countries: fruit purées made from damson, sour cherry, apricot and quince, acacia honey and nuts, walnut oil, bell peppers and chilli and hearty vegetable products and fruit brandies.

The company only uses freshly harvested fruit based on traditional varieties, some of which are collected in the wild. Fruits are selected, washed, chopped and stirred in copper vessels to the required consistency with many village residents being engaged in these operations. Walnuts are shelled and packaged or pressed to make food oils. The acacia honey extracted by local organic beekeepers is used to flavour the fruit purées and packaged in small jars, either pure or with walnuts. In summer, freshly harvested bell peppers and aubergines are charcoal-grilled and processed to make Sakuska, a rustic spread for bread. All of the products are labelled and carefully packaged by hand. This enables the village to preserve its culinary traditions and helps to secure the existence of the region’s numerous small-scale farmers.

Classified as a First Class Distillery 2015, the Hungarian fruit processors were awarded gold for Apricot, silver for Apple Jonathan, Quince and Wild Plum, as well as bronze for Cherry Sour.

Angostura Limited: From elixir to export hit

Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a young doctor born in Germany, journeyed to South America after the Napoleonic Wars. In the services of the freedom fighter Simón Bolívar, he worked in a military hospital in the town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar), and perfected the formula for an aromatic bitter in 1824. This elixir proved to be extremely effective with the soldiers’ stomach troubles and digestive disorders – and is said to have helped them to win the fight for freedom against the Spaniards. Soon the fame of the miracle cure was spread by the sailors, and it became used as a versatile flavour enhancer for foods and drinks, and the foundations for a small but regular export business were laid.

In 1875, the company was relocated to Trinidad, and started in the rum business soon after. In 1949, an in-house distillery was established and, by the end of the 1960s, the Angostura company had expanded sales of its aromatic bitters to over 140 countries around the world – and grew even further in the decades that followed. These days, the global market leader in bitters exports to around 165 countries worldwide, a great achievement for the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. The headquarters are located on a 20-hectare site, where guided tours of the distillery, the bitters production area, the museum and the butterfly collection are organised for locals and visitors.

Die World-Class Distillery 2025 erhielt Gold für Angostura 5 year old Rum, Angostura Reserva, Angostura 1919, Angostura 7 year old Rum, Angostura 1824, Angostura Tamboo, Silver für Angostura 1787.