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Guggenbichler – Spirits specialist from the Chiemgau region

As a small boy, he helped collect the mashed fruit from the barrels and was later introduced to the secrets of distilling by his father, says the fruit-grower and master distiller Johann Guggenbichler. Fine quality brandies have been distilled at the family estate since 1829 and the business is now in its 5th generation. The brandy sommelier shares the particular features of these traditional local fruit varieties with visitors during seminars and tasting sessions.

The business is located in the picturesque Chiemgau mountains and the gently rolling hills of the Alpine uplands, at the heart of the fruit orchards where fruits ripen for use in the authentic Guggenbichler products. The varieties grown here range from apple brandy aged in oak barrels, apricot (brandy and liqueur), top-quality pear, blackberry and espresso liqueur, Gravenstein apple, hazelnut spirit, raspberry spirit and liqueur, elderberry brandy, coffee liqueur, cherry brandy and liqueur, herb spirit and liqueur, distillates made from Mirabelle plums, fruits, peaches and plums (brandy and liqueur), quince (brandy and liqueur), Ramazottl, sloe, pomace and rowanberry brandies, walnut liqueur, Williams pear (brandy and liqueur) and plum brandy.


Many spirits enthusiasts and long-standing regular customers come here regularly to stock up on their favourite fruit flavour. The brandies and liqueurs come packaged in wooden boxes and therefore make popular gifts. These top-quality spirits are highly valued in the world of gastronomy; Germany’s top chef, Heinz Winkler, ‘resides’ in nearby Aschau and recommends trying a ‘Guggenbichler’.

The World Spirits Award resulted in classification as a First Class Distillery 2014 with gold for sloe and black elderberry, and silver for apricot and yellow Williams pear.

Vesterhavsmost: Danish specialities made of apple cider

The TONOW Distillery is part of the family-run Vesterhavsmost & Laubjergs Planteskole in western Denmark, near the North Sea. This is where the family started with the cultivation of various berries and apples at the beginning of the 1980s, later they added plums, elderflower and walnuts. The distillery was first registered as a wine producer to be able to work with the raw material. All the fruits are processed into juices and spirits, from the fruit to the finished bottle, all at the same site.

Vesterhavsmost is much more than an apple plantation for juice production. The company focuses on monovarietal juices, from classics to new, intensive varieties, to preserve the characteristic taste and to emphasise the typical aromas. The apples are picked by hand and processed within two days. The dried pressed residue is used for bread, muesli and so on. Their own orchard allows full control of perfect quality. The marine climate ensures a long ripening time and plenty of natural acidity. The centrepiece of the production is a product range comprising Eau de Vie, barrel-matured brandies and liqueurs. TONOW® Eau de Vie is the result of distilling apple cider. They work with a Müller Aroma® distiller, which is perfectly suited to extracting the aroma profile. The raw spirit with 83 volume percent matures in steel tanks and is later reduced to 42 volume percent – with water from their own site with protected groundwater.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for TONOW® Eau de Vie Cox Holstein and Apple Liqueur (Pommeau).

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.