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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.

Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has several top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery, in addition, Mo Chara Passionfruit & Mango Gin from the Old Carrick Mill.

The Blackwater Distillery has been an Aldi partner since 2016 and developed the private label Boyle’s Gin exclusively for the Irish and British retail market. The product volume of the Blackwater Distillery for Aldi has risen strongly in recent years, whereby 140,800 bottles of the gin series were sold in 2018. The successful gin brand is manufactured in Blackwater Valley, West Waterford, with selected imported ingredients as well as regional apples, blackcurrants and elderflower. CEO Peter Mulryan – former TV producer and author of the book ‘The Whiskeys of Ireland’ – explains, “The partnership with Aldi has helped us to increase turnover enormously, and also to have the security to invest and expand. This includes on-site bottling facilities and a visitor centre.” Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery got its name from the region in County Cork where the malted barley comes from, and is only manufactured in small batches. The business was founded in 2003 by childhood friends who started out with only two small stills they had bought in Switzerland. Now the largest distillery in the country, it currently employs over 80 staff and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Ardfallen 10 Year Old Whiskey and Boyle’s Gin, and Silver for Boyle’s Sloe & Damson Gin and Ardfallen Whiskey.

Hohenkammer Castle – Setting an example with sustainability

An idyllic rural landscape, traditional cultivation and sustainable agriculture – all just 30 kilometres from Munich. The beautifully restored Hohenkammer Castle is located in a small community with a history dating back over 1,200 years and houses a top-class seminar centre. The castle offers 162 rooms, 26 seminar and conference rooms plus various areas for hosting celebrations.

The agricultural estate of Gut Eichethof comprises 300 hectares of land and 500 hectares of forest which also supply raw materials for energy production. The area has been consistently ecologically farmed since 1992 and has enjoyed considerable economic success. The principle of sustainability is a means of devising a successful future rather than a return to the good old days.

Guided by high quality standards, scientific expertise is just as important as practical experience. The core business of farming is the reproduction of organic seeds of which the estate is one of the biggest producers, including being number one in Bavaria. Angus cattle, Mangalitza pigs and various chicken species are reared here for the company’s own use. Further top products based on its own organic farming include pumpkin seed oil and various fruit vinegars.

More than 1,000 fruit trees and shrubs provide the raw materials for fine brandies ranging from apple to damson. 24 high-quality products are available nowadays, of which five are matured in Italian oak casks. The brandies are sold in particular to guests at the conference centre and at the castle restaurant.

At the World Spirits Award, the company achieved classification as a First Class Distillery 2014. There was also gold for the Rheinischer Bohnapfel (apple brandy), Traubenbrand Holzfass (a grape brandy aged in a wooden cask) and Vogelbeer Maulbeerfass (rowanberry aged in a mulberry cask).

Bacardi: A world of brands with a value system

Don Facundo Bacardi was born near Barcelona and emigrated to Santiago de Cuba in 1830, where he founded a small distillery in 1862 at Calle Matadero 57. His wife Amalia discovered a colony of bats under their roof; bats are thought to provide protection for cultural assets by the local Taíno people, the indigenous population of Cuba. In Spain, bats are a symbol of health, happiness and family unity. And so this became the trademark of the new rum – now one of the most renowned logos in the spirits industry.

Bacardi is the world’s biggest privately owned company dealing in spirits, offering over 200 rum, vodka, whisky, gin, vermouth and tequila products which are sold around the world. The main brands include BACARDI Rum, ERISTOFF Vodka, MARTINI Vermouth, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin and GREY GOOSE Vodka. In 1877, Bacardi won their first gold medal for quality at the World’s Fair in Spain, and many more were to follow. In 1910, they opened their first international plant in Barcelona, the family’s hometown. In 1916, another bottling plant in New York followed. In the 1920s, Bacardi acquired a reputation as a symbol of luxury and lifestyle with a special kind of advertising. This holds true even today. The BACARDI Rum brand has become a symbol of the Caribbean and not just because this is where it has its roots; it also brings consumers that much closer to this ‘paradise’.

The Master Class Distillery 2024 received gold for Reserva Ocho, Superior, Spiced & Cola Ready-To-Drink and Reserva Ocho Rye Cask, and silver for Caribbean Spiced, Toasted Coconut Colada Ready-To-Drink, Mojito Ready-To-Drink, Roasted Pineapple Rum Punch Ready-To-Drink and Caribbean Espresso Rumtini Ready-To-Drink.