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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).

Liedschreiber Erdelbranddestillerie: A vocational passion

Andreas and Anna-Maria Liedschreiber both come from a farming background and have been running the farm with cattle, grassland, forest, alpine pastures and a distillery since 2003. The family has five daughters and one son. Andreas, a trained carpenter and master farmer, has been distilling using traditional methods in the farm’s own distillery since 1985. He has been a taster for sensory tests at the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences since 2000 and completed his training as a fine brandy sommelier in 2010. Anna-Maria, a master of home economics, specialises in liqueurs made from fruits and flowers and is also a fine brandy sommelier.

The distillery is located in the charming Alpine foothills near Lake Tegernsee. The Schafstatthof farm is not just a place of production, but an experience for all the senses. Every bottle tells a story – from carefully selected ingredients to masterful distillation. The high-quality specialities are matured to perfection in old earthenware barrels and are harmonised with their own mountain spring water. Visitors can learn more about the high-quality process from the fruit to the fine distillate and interesting facts about modern distillation technology on a public distillation tour (registration from ten people). Afterwards, there are tastings from the wide range of products, plus regional cheeses and fresh bread. For larger events (up to 80 people), the comfortably furnished ‘Destillenzi’ and a terrace with a view of the Alpine landscape are available.

At the World Spirits Award 2025, Gold was awarded to Schlehe-Brand (blackthorn brandy), Speierling-Brand (service tree brandy) and Herzbeere-Brand (guelder rose brandy), and Silver to Wildkirsche-Brand (wild cherry brandy).

Burgunderhof – A high-flying young entrepreneur

When Julica Renn gets in her helicopter and flies over the vineyards, it is clear that the former wine princess is no cliché. Together with her parents she runs the Burgunderhof, the first certified climate-neutral and ecologically run winery and hotel on Lake Constance. Since 2016, she has been the managing director and equal partner of the winery, the distillery and the hotel, and with her unusual start-up she has ushered in the generation change to the Burgunderhof with a flourish: MILE HIGH 69® is the name of the protected brand of her exclusive gin label. The laborious batch production is worth it, the end result is a very small edition of a great product – stylishly presented in aluminium containers with lots of 1920s flair: a homage to the pioneer times of the famous Dornier flying boats, which conquered the world from Lake Constance.

These days, Julica Renn conquers the gin world and benefits from over 300 years of family tradition. The standards are high – father Heiner Renn is known for fine fruit brandies and wines. His daughter has inherited his sense of business and fine sense of taste. In the secret recipe of her gin composition you will find juniper, sweet almond, lemon balm and elderflower, as well as kumquats, pine buds, lime and inflorescence from Müller-Thurgau. In the unfiltered distillation, the ethereal components are optimally released and the aromas elegantly highlighted – 19 natural botanicals and pure Lake Constance water promise a pleasurable experience, which Julica Renn presents impeccably: online, on Facebook and in the web shop.

At the World Spirits Award, the gin flew straight to gold.