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2B Hemp Gin: Styrian gin experience

Two visionaries, Armin Breinl (doctor, drink creator, musician) and Wolfgang Thomann (gin maker), have created a completely new gin experience with real hemp powder: 2B HEMP GIN (inspired by AEIJST). On 17th November 2018, the two invited guests to the first tasting of 2B HEMP GIN in the AEIJST GIN distillery in St. Nikolai in the Sausal Valley.

Made from organic juniper berries, this innovative gin has an impressive, mild and fruity taste and a typical hemp note. Due to its unique aroma, it not only tastes good neat, but also creates a ‘wow’ effect in cocktails – as proven in the long drink Styrian Pale Gin AEIJST refined with 2B HEMP.

For thousands of years, hemp has been grown as a valuable plant, be it for rope, fabric, paper or as an active ingredient in ointments and tinctures. Hemp has always been highly valued for its medicinal properties, yet recently has been demonised as an addictive drug and has suffered under its ensuing prohibition, originating in the USA. These days hemp is regaining importance and is being used more as a luxury food as well as in medicine as a therapeutic agent.

The Lifestyle Trading company, run by Armin Breinl, is an innovative beverage producer, which is already known amongst trade professionals for its sugar-free ‘func- tional fruit drinks’. The drinks have a high fruit content (more than 50 per cent) and additional natural, vital substances and have an energising, relaxing and regenerative effect.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for 2B HEMP GIN.

Distillery Krauss: Delicious spirits from the Koralpe

At the foot of Koralpe in St. Martin im Sulmtal lies Distillery Krauss. What started in 2007 in a small garage in Schwanberg developed into an international spirits producer from 2018 at the new location, now with five employees. It has made a name for itself globally especially for gin, marking Austria on the gin world map. In addition, other top products such as rum, whisky, apple brandy and aniseed spirit have been awarded worldwide, rounding the product range off perfectly.

Amongst everything that is undertaken in the successful enterprise, some ‘cornerstones’ have emerged over the years as the most important values: a wide product range, concentration on the essentials, enjoyable moments, expertise and quality. For the fine brandies, there is an emphasis on single barrel filling at barrel strength. Despite the size of the company, individual gin productions are nevertheless still made according to customer wishes. The pot still at the old location is available for this, which is otherwise used for testing purposes and new developments – such as the first Austrian BIO Hard Seltzer.

The World Class Distillery 2022 OBB (Distillery of the Year – Gold & World Spirits Award 2022), World Class Distillery 2022 GIWO (Distillery of the Year – Gold & World Spirits Award 2022) and First Class Distillery 2022 BILI collected, alongside double gold for Saffron infused Dry Gin (Spirit of the Year 2022) and Zwetschkenbrand (damson brandy) (World Spirits Award 2022 & Spirit of the Year 2022), a further nine gold medals and four times silver.

Stuttgart Distillers: A declaration of love to their home town

GINSTR – Stuttgart Dry Gin is a declaration of love to Stuttgart: with only 711 (the local dialling code!) bottles per filling, the Stuttgart airport code in the brand name, and the name of the barrels – the first one had the simple name of Killesberg. The ingredients also come from the region: citrus fruits from local greenhouses meet juniper berries from their vineyards in the Remstal Valley. The carefully filtered Lake Constance water is mixed with original Cannstatt mineral water. All 46 handpicked botanicals that cannot be grown in Stuttgart and its surroundings come from regional traders, mostly from the Stuttgart Market Hall: fresh citrus aromas, the finest juniper, a touch of rosemary, cardamom and coriander for the necessary spiciness; liquorice, kaffir lime leaves, orange blossom, hibiscus blossom and pomegranate seeds provide the perfect complementary note. GINSTR is produced and bottled by the ‘makers’ themselves – so they have total control throughout the process.

Markus Escher – a winegrower’s son, master distiller and herb guru – adds his high demands for quality and handwork. GINSTR is full of his expertise, his passion and his heart and soul. Alexander Franke – born on the Killesberg, a presenter and spirits collector – is known by most people in Stuttgart as ‘Sandy’. At 15 he was Germany’s youngest radio presenter and, since then, radio and TV would be unthinkable without him. It was by coincidence that he met Markus at an interview, and then a dream came true: together they created the perfect gin!

GINSTR – Stuttgart Dry Gin was awarded gold at the World Spirits Award.