World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Fine Blankeneser Goods: Unity of quality and design

The intertwining traditions of trade and seafaring in the history of the Blankenese district of Hamburg were the inspiration for dedicating a gin to the ‘Jewel of the Elbe’. With the burgeoning East India trade, gin was part of the catering for seafarers, because the high alcohol content prevented the drink from spoiling during longer journeys – unlike beer or water.

Fabian Rohrwasser, distilling master at the ‘Feingeisterei’ at Gut Basthorst manor, developed the ‘Blankeneser’ recipe. Herbs and spices are used that came to Hamburg in the 17th century on merchant ships. The Premium Dry Gin is characterised by a sweet ginger tartness and a distinguishing bitter note. The aromatic support for the juniper is provided by the fruity, tart bouquet of orange peel, orange blossom and lavender, whilst coriander and Ceylon cinnamon produce a hint of spicy wood. Cardamom and green ginger together with angelica root and meadowsweet ensure the finish.

Fine Blankeneser Goods GmbH was founded in April 2018. The founder, creative head and brand ambassador is Sabina Pech. The company produces high-quality gifts and souvenirs in the areas of spirits, drinks and luxury foodstuffs. The packaging and design are important distinguishing factors, alongside the high quality. The elements are all interwoven and tell local stories. The bottle labels are based on illustrations that are enhanced every year to appeal also to collectors – all creations by Sabina Pech.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, there was Gold for Blankeneser Premium Dry Gin.

Black Forest Distillers - Bavarian headdress, turbans and bowler hats

An adventurous past lies behind the "Monkey 47" gin: Montgomery Collins was born in 1909 in Madras and came to Berlin in 1945 as a Commander of the Royal Air Force where he became involved with re-developing the zoo and began sponsoring a monkey there named Max. During the 1950s, he opened a country guesthouse by the name of "Zum wilden Affen" (At the wild monkey's) where he began producing gin according to the British tradition.

The unusual recipe was discovered during renovation works and brought back to life by Alexander Stein from the Jacobi brandy dynasty and Master Distiller Christoph Keller. They describe the 47 ingredients as "Black Forest DNA". In addition to juniper berries, they include "spices" (coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), "floral fragrances" (acacia, honeysuckle, bergamot and lavender blossom), "tangy flavours" (pomelo, lemongrass, lemon balm, etc.) and "Black Forest flavours" (spruce shoots, mallow, blackthorn, elderflower, dog rose and blackberry leaves). Cranberries add the final touch.

These "botanicals" are mixed with extra soft water from the company's own spring and alcohol and are partly macerated. This is followed by the distillation and steam extraction process using fresh plant material. The distillate is stored for a few months in traditional stoneware vessels and after the maturation period, spring water is added until the mixture reaches a strength of 47% vol.

The complex flavours are ideal for classics like Martini with tonic added to taste, as well as cocktails. The top quality of the products was confirmed by a gold medal at the World-Spirits Award.

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.

Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.