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Svedka - Hot parties with a touch of cool Sweden

Where there is a party, there is Svedka - whether it be on Broadway, in Hollywood or in Berlin. The stars and starlets love this Swedish vodka: fans include Sting, Paris Hilton, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzmann, Gwyneth Paltrow, Melanie Trump, Kate Moss and many more.

The secret behind the flavour of Svedka is rooted in centuries of Swedish tradition. High quality wheat forms the basis (1.5 kg per litre) which is then distilled five times. The process takes over 40 hours. The result is so smooth that it does not require filtering. The purest of spring waters are used in the master blending process. The result is a gentle freshness. Four flavoured vodkas are also offered in addition to the pure vodka: citron, clementine, raspberry and vanilla.

Svedka Vodka is the fastest growing Swedish brand of vodka worldwide. It was launched onto the market in 1998 and in 2007 was taken over by Constellation Brands together with its brand owner Spirits Marque One LLC, based in New York. In the USA, this cool Swedish vodka spread through the bars and nightclubs like wildfire, supported by a trendy advertising campaign entitled "Happy Hour in America" with slogans such as "Make Cocktails, not War", "Mix liberally, drink conservatively", "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happy Hour" and "Conserve Energy, drink sitting down". Futuristic cocktail recipes such as the "Peeping Android" and "2033" have also played a part. "2033" was chosen because Svedka has been "predicted" to be the most popular vodka in the world in that very year.

The products scored well at the World-Spirits Award: the "pure" vodka won a double gold and there was also gold for the "Clementine Flavored" and "Citron Flavored" as well as silver for the "Raspberry Flavored".

Engarrafamento Pitú – Bestseller from Brazil

Pitú is one of the most traditional producers of beverages in Brazil, with its headquarters in Vitória de Santo Antão in the north of the country. Founded at the end of the 1930s, the company has remained family-owned – at the moment, it is managed by the fourth and fifth generations. Pitú is the undisputed number one in the region, and the most exported Cachaça of the country. Following the build-up of exports to Europe in the 1970s, and North America in the 1980s, currently more than 50 countries are supplied. According to International Wine and Spirits Research, Pitú thus belongs to the 20 largest spirit brand names in the world.

For the over 90 million litres that are produced each year, only sugarcane that grows in the fertile, red massapé soil in the state of Pernambuco is used. The Pitú product range has something for every taste, whereby the continuity of the blends is preserved to make Pitú unique and recognisable for consumers. For the 75-year company jubilee, the top product, Vitoriosa, was launched on the market, which already stands out with its distinctive glass bottle and the soft, smooth character that is achieved through several years of maturation in French barrique barrels.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Pitú Vitoriosa.