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LA SU Gin: Exotic holiday feeling in a glass

Alexander Kayser and Christopher Schuh are true gin lovers and founders of the brand LA SU Gin – a registered brand of Expo Outline Messebau und Event GmbH in Altenstadt, with Alexander Kayser as the managing partner.

After exploring many trains of thought, it was clear to both of them that it had to be exotic. LA SU Gin is a premium handcrafted gin with a hint of fruity mango. Distilled in small batches, traditionally and without additives, it is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Europe. The mango gives it a special freshness and balances the tart notes of the spices perfectly. Next to the mango, LA SU evokes a sense of travel. Enjoy a holiday feeling and discover new taste sensations. The elaborate bottle design reflects a love of detail and certainly leaves an impression.

At the World Spirits Award, bronze was achieved by LA SU *MGO* Natural Mango.

Darauf einen Hüpperling: Organic vodka for wholesome enjoyment

The production focuses on wholesomeness and excellent quality, all hand-crafted, without artificial additives, only with traditional distilling skills and regional ingredients such as the finest wheat and the purest primary rock spring water from a Natura 2000 European nature reserve. The wheat for ‘DEH’ comes from fields in Biberbach at the heart of the Mostviertel region and is organically certified. It is shredded and carefully processed into a mash, fermented for 72 hours and then distilled 60-fold in a column still to achieve the required purity. Only the ‘core’ is refined for the vodka. After a rest phase for the 96% alcohol, the distillate is reduced to drinking strength with granite water. This is followed by at least a year of storage until the balance and mildness have been achieved.

Destillerie Farthofer in Öhling in the Amstetten district of the Mostviertel in Lower Austria is responsible for the production. The retailer and trademark owner is Frank Hüpperling from Berlin, an architect and drummer. During a band rehearsal with his music band B3+, the ‘DEH’ idea was born and then created together with Josef Farthofer in 2020. The trademark has been registered under his name since 2020 at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. He has been certified as an organic retailer since 2021. And this is how he himself speaks of his organic vodka: “Quality doesn’t need ice. Mixing, cutting and icing are completely unnecessary here. This vodka is enjoyed pure and at room temperature (18 – 20°C), because the best quality doesn’t need any frost. Only then does its full glory come into its own.”

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to DEH Darauf einen Hüpperling.

Destilería Serrallés

Puerto Rico is world-famous for excellent rum, and one of the oldest family-run businesses with a perfect grasp of traditional craftsmanship is the Destilería Serrallés, founded in 1865. The beginning of their success story, however, lies even further back, as the family, originally from Catalonia, had already settled near the town of Ponce on the southern coast of the island in the 1830s. Their ‘Hacienda Mercedita’ became a proper town with workers’ settlements and its own railway – and a major exporter of cane sugar. The first barrels of rum were produced by Juan Serrallés with a copper pot still which he had imported from France.

These days the production process is a multiple distillation system with activated carbon filtration as a basis for clear, pure rum. Storage and maturation of the rum takes place in American oak barrels. The careful compilation of the blend is based on recipes passed down through the Serrallés family and perfected over six generations. The result is a portfolio of authentic rums from the region, with the flagship Don Q, the best-selling rum on the island. Incidentally, Don Q stands for Don Quijote, whose picture is on the bottles.

The World Class Distillery 2019 received gold for Don Q Añejo, Don Q Gran Añejo, Don Q Gold, Don Q Cristal Rum, Don Q Coco Rum, Don Q Pina, Don Q Double Aged Vermouth Cask Finish Rum, and silver for Don Q Oak Barrel aged Spiced Rum.