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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.

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.

PITÚ – A successful brand from Brazil

Brazil’s second largest sugarcane spirits brand is also the best-selling export brand. In Germany, PITÚ is the best-known brand in its class and is most commonly used as a spirit to make PITÚrinha, the premium Caipirinha with PITÚ. PITÚ has been imported directly from Brazil since as long ago as 1972, and is bottled in Germany. The brand owner for all European countries is the Anton Riemerschmid, Weinbrennerei & Likörfabrik GmbH & Co. KG company, which has been 100% owned by the Underberg Group since September 1996.

The Brazilian company Engarrafamento PITÚ Ltda. was founded in 1938 by two traditional families from the north-east of Brazil – Cândido Carneiro and Ferrer de Morais. The distillery is located in Vitória de Santo Antão in the federal state of Pernambuco. The company is now in its fourth and fifth generation of managers. The search for a trademark quickly led to the name ‘PITÚ’, the colloquial name for the freshwater crayfish, Macrobrachium carcinus, which can be found in a river close to the distillery.

At the World Spirits Award, PITÚ was awarded gold as usual.

Kesselbrüder: World-first from Vienna

At the beginning of December 2018, Florian Koller, Thomas Tirmantinger and Achim Brock presented ‘Klimt Wien Gin’. They wanted a memorial for the Art Nouveau painter and to capture the way of life at the turn of the century in a bottle. “We have the philosophy, we have the ingenious product and we have the patron saint of the creative Viennese eroticism: Gustav Klimt.” This is how Achim Brock describes the idea behind the gin creation. Florian Koller continues: “Gustav Klimt represents the intellectual, charming, creative, deca-dent and erotic Vienna from the past and the modern day. We absolutely wanted to focus on that.” Thomas Tirmantinger enthuses on the effect of the superplants involved: “Lady’s mantle is one of our favourites, this plant that is indigenous to Europe has a relaxing effect on the female lower abdomen, the stinging nettle stimulates blood circulation in the genitals, and the superplant, the bishop’s cap cactus from Japan, increases libido and semen production in men.”

13 months of intensive product development were necessary to create the first ‘functional erotic gin in the world’. Eight highly dosed, strongly aphrodisiac botanicals were added to the basic recipe using a special mac-eration procedure whereby the gin gains in maturity, potency, expression and eroticism. The mostly indige-nous botanicals can be clearly recognised, produced in a special infusion procedure.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Wien Gin and Klimt Wien Gin.