World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Georg Hemmeter – XUXU, Escorial, SILLA EL FUERTE

Georg Hemmeter – strawberry drinks with exceptional flavour guaranteed

The name Georg Hemmeter – a company of the Underberg Group – stands for innovative spirits, in particular the XUXU range. The fresh and fruity strawberry drink contains 66 percent fruit plus crystal-clear vodka, rounded off with a dash of lime. The harmony between the sweetness of the fruit and just 15% alcohol by volume is created using a special production method. XUXU Ten, the little luxury in a 250 ml aluminium bottle with only 10% alcohol by volume, is dressed to party – it is still relatively new to the market, yet is already at home in all the world’s top party venues.
XUXU can be served in so many different ways: chilled, neat, on crushed ice, as a dessert topping, with sparkling wine or with other mixers – XUXU tastes heavenly and offers fresh and fruity pleasure. Welcome to Berrydise!

Initially the absolute top star in Greece, XUXU is now also number 1 in Russia, and extremely popular in Turkey and Italy too.


XUXU Strawberry & Vodka Drink and XUXU Ten won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2014.

Edward Snell – Whisky from South Africa

Edward Snell founded a trading company in Durban in 1848, from which the oldest spirit company in South Africa developed over 160 years. Following an eventful history, the company is now once again in the hands of the family. Besides their own brands they also sell numerous local and international drink brands, mostly in various markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The wide range of products includes whisky, brandy, vodka, rum, gin, tequila and cognac. One outstanding label is Firstwatch Whisky with its new look, a striking, square bottle design. Consumer demand for a whisky with an American taste profile has been perfected over time and is presented today as a balanced blend of the finest imported rye and grain. Whether pure, on the rocks or mixed – its diversity makes it popular with many different target groups and successful in one of the largest spirit segments in South Africa.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Firstwatch Whisky.

Albert Büchele – Reliability, Vorarlberg-style

“We have been farmers for generations”, says Albert Büchele from the Michelehof, which has been based in Hard at Lake Constance since 1838. The name of the estate is based on the name Michael since his great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather were both called ‘Michel’. Today, the estate looks rather different with the focus being on fruit processing instead of animal husbandry and dairy farming. Plenty of input and commitment and a friendly sense of persistence regularly bring the highest possible accolades for this ‘stuff which dreams are made of’.

The diverse product range focuses on apples and pears and the fruit of the region – the Subirer pear – has become the company logo, based on the star-shaped flower of the fruit trees. Brandies full of character are made from the various types of stone fruits, berries and wild fruits and Albert Büchele has a particular passion for maturing distillates in wooden casks. A great deal of love and care has gone into the redesign of the building: since 2006, the architecturally successful structure has incorporated plenty of wood, solidity and style – not forgetting the expressive and well-balanced products made here. And little wonder, as harmony within the family and across the estate have long been the recipe for success. The future development of the Michelehof is certainly cause for great excitement.

The World Class Distillery 2017 received double gold for Cigar Cuvée, gold for Subirer Reserve, rose hip and grape brandy (barrel-aged), and silver for orange blossom muscatel brandy and damson brandy (barrel-aged).

Kavalan – Taiwan’s first single malt whisky

Taiwan’s natural resources gave rise to the founding of the country’s first whisky distillery. Behind the whisky is the King Car Group which operates companies in various sectors, including drinks, food, bio-technology, aquaculture among others. For years, they were looking for the perfect place for whisky production on the subtropical island, where hot, humid summers accelerate the maturation process. Yilan in the north-east of Taiwan was chosen due to the pure spring water of the Central Mountain Range and Snowy Mountain Range. The location also has the cleanest air in the country and is close to the Pacific, where the cool winds from Siberia can be felt in winter. An ideal setting for letting the whisky breathe in its casks.

The distillery was built in record time in just nine months with the first drops produced on 11 March 2006 and the first bottles of Kavalan issued in December 2008. Today, Kavalan is the most-sold product in this field. The company’s technical equipment includes copper distillation stills from overseas, various cask types (bourbon, sherry, American oak, etc.) and professional advisors – some with more than 30 years of experience in drinks manufacture.

The company’s results at the World Spirits Award are just as impressive as the dimensions of its distillery: as well as double gold for the Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky, there were another 16 golds and one silver.