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Modus-Vivendi -Small fruits with a big history

There are plenty of stories surrounding the history of damassine plum - small, violet fruits in the plum family. The botanical name of 'prunus damascena' is indicative of the probable origins of the fruit: Damascus in Syria. The Roman gourmet and most famous author of cook books in Antiquity, Marcus Gavius Apicius, praised the fruit in one recipe as a delicious accompaniment to lamb. It then found its way to Europe through the Duke of Anjou who discovered the fruits in around 1220 during a crusade to Jerusalem. During the Middle Ages, the trees grew predominantly in the gardens of the royal houses and parishes.

At the end of the 16th century, planting began on the South banks of Lake Biel in Switzerland and the Jura mountains seemed particularly suited to plum varieties. Harvesting damassine plums is very time-consuming and therefore they rarely come to market for fresh consumption. And their use in fine brandy has so far also only been of local significance. As they say in the Jura region: "A good meal without a glass of damassine brandy is like a day without sunshine".

The young Modus-Vivendi company in Biel has brought a new name and exclusive equipment to this 'historic distillate' in order to increase the product recognisability. The raw materials are provided by Roger Grimm and Adrian Eberhard, who planted hundreds of damassine shrubs in an ideal south-facing location in Luescherz, on the South banks of Lake Biel, from 2003 to 2008. The owner of Grillette Domaine De Cressier, J. P. Mürset, also represents a partner who has been heavily involved with the cultivation of damassine plums in Le Landeron since the 1990s.

This speciality product from the Swiss lakes region was awarded a bronze medal at its première at the World-Spirits Award.

Login Drinks: Sicilian impressions

The gin trio by Nicola Philipps was inspired by the little island of Salina, one of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the north coast of Sicily. It is world renowned for its caper fields bedded between high mountains and steep rocky coasts. The blossoms sleep during the day, but wake up after sunset. Reminders of this are captured in the gin with the name Caper Flowers – something special, because the hint of caper blossom brings an innovative idea into the world of gin. The second gin is dedicated to jasmine, which is in full blossom in the summer in Sicily, while the third is dedicated to juniper, which is part of the Mediterranean scene with its gentle acerbity. Everything else that goes into the gins of course remains a secret.

The botanicals from Salina were processed by the Moselle master distiller Hubertus Vallendar, who loves Italy just as much as Nicola. She compares his art of capturing nature and converting it into something magical and his fierce passion for the finest spirits with the fire of the volcano Stromboli. The elegant, transparent glass bottles with their colourful images of plants round off the fine presentation of the gin series. A real treat – whether pure, over ice or a very high-quality Mediterranean tonic water.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to LOGIN Caper Flowers and LOGIN with a hint of Jasmine, and silver to LOGIN with a taste of Juniper.

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.