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Ungava Spirits: Authentic products from Canada

Ungava Spirits, a leading Canadian manufacturer of high-quality products, has set up its production facilities, the distillery and offices in Cowansville, in Quebec’s beautiful Eastern Townships. As well as the internationally known Ungava Premium Dry Gin, the product range also includes maple liqueur, rum, vodka and vermouth. The spirits are produced in small batches using natural and local ingredients of the highest quality.

Ungava Gin is made from six rare Arctic botanicals from northern Quebec that are hand-harvested, dried and slowly steeped for five weeks for a natural extraction of their complex flavours and colours. Cabot Trail is inspired by Canadian tradition, combining maple and blueberry cream liqueur with maple syrup and blueberries. Quartz Vodka made from Canadian corn is purified by cryogenic treatment at extremely cold temperatures and micro-distilled five times for silky finesse and crystalline transparency. Chic Choc Black Spiced Rum is made of first-class West Indian rum, a blend of selected rums stored for three to seven years. The botanicals come 100% from Quebec – wild herbs from the Chic Choc mountain region on the Gaspésie peninsula. Baril Caché is based on the regional grains of rye, barley, corn and wheat as well as Canadian whiskies matured for at least five years.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Ungava Premium Dry Gin, Cabot Trail Maple and Blueberry Cream and Quartz Vodka, and silver for Rhum épicé CHIC CHOC Spiced Rum and Whisky Baril Caché.

Destillerie Josef Hofer: The finest stone pine schnapps

In the Styrian Enns Valley, at the foot of Mount Grimming, lies Irdning-Donnersbachtal. The Josef Hofer family business has been on the main square since 1797, now in the eighth generation. The stone pine schnapps plays an important role in the production of spirits and liqueurs. Since 2005, the Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur has been exported to the best resorts in the United States.

A stone pine spirit in its original form only needs pure alcohol and some sugar. 35 percent alcohol by volume gives an ideal combination of flavour and sharpness. The colour is typical with light blue-violet tones. Picking the cones is a risky job, as they hang on the outermost branches. And it has to be done quickly, because, due to the exothermal fermentation processes, the resin begins to seep out, leading to a bitterness which makes the cones unusable. Production begins after visual inspection of the cones: perfect examples are red throughout when cut open. They are left in a mixture of alcohol and water, depending on temperature and maturity, for two to three weeks. Once the sugar has been added, the alcohol content is regulated and, after a short resting period, the filtration and bottling follow.

‘Zirbenz trifft Barrique’ (Zirbenz meets barrique) is matured for six months in a new barrique made of American oak. The reddish-brown colour evokes whisky, while the aroma brings together stone pine with kiln-dry notes, hints of rum, tobacco and wood. A schnapps with strong bitter aromas from the roots of yellow gentian, which are washed and set in pure alcohol for two weeks, is a rarity.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Zirbenz, as well as silver for Zirbenz trifft Barrique and Enzian (gentian).

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.