World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Absintissimo – An unusual distiller career

René Wanner used to be a police detective in Geneva, these days he is one of the most well-known absinthe distillers in Val-de-Travers, the traditional region of production in the Swiss canton of Neuenburg. Just like all the people who live there, he can tell many stories about the colourful history of the “green fairy”. Once taken as a medicine, it was later marginalised and then, in 1908, prohibited. Only since 2005 has absinthe again been produced legally. René Wanner revives ancient recipes, distils slowly according to olden specifications and only in small amounts. The result is very aromatic, yet mild and agreeable. A lot of effort is necessary: for 3,000 bottles you need about a ton of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), in addition to large amounts of green aniseed and star aniseed, mint and balm, coriander and fennel, hyssop and liquorice.

Aside from his talent as a distiller, René Wanner also has a talent for promoting and selling his products. He greets his visitors to the sounds of an alpenhorn, he also learnt yodelling after retirement, and he guides the degustations multilingually: in German, French, Italian and Swiss-German. This is accompanied by anecdotes from moonshiner times – and also, on request, by dishes refined with absinthe from his small kitchen. As a member of a gastronomic brotherhood, he naturally keeps the recipes very secret. The icing on the absinthe cake are the originally designed bottles.

At the World Spirits Award, the absinthe range impressed the judges: gaining gold for La 68…harde, Bleue à Fernand, Bloody Fairy, Cinquante & Une, La Cavassonne, La Fée de la Rade and La Fée Verte, as well as silver for Bleue Bacchus and De Bleu de Bleu.

NEST Gin: A little sip of South Tyrol

Two young South Tyroleans – Peter Paul Schweitzer, a drinks retailer from Latsch, and the fine brandy sommelier Matthias Gamper, a hotelier in the Schnals Valley and a gin expert – wanted to revive old recipes to meet contemporary tastes. “We wanted to create a product that is modern and that suits us.” Their knowledge, their experience and their passion for gin provided the best conditions for their first spirits project. They needed barely a year for product development, naming and packaging. They achieved a gin that is both modern and alpine. Nest Gin – the name implies a comfortable home, like a nest.

It was thought out and distilled at the heart of the Alps, developed from paper to the bottle in cooperation with the distilling master Helmut Oberhofer from the Roner Distillery. The essential basis: crystal clear alpine water from South Tyrol and the finest grain. The main protagonist in the complex play of aromas: the finest alpine herbs with a hint of orange. The botanicals involved apart from juniper are coriander, angelica root, masterwort, gentian, yarrow, musk blossom, thyme and marigold. And apart from that nothing: no oils, no essences, no tricks. And what does the gin itself say about it? “They tried to say no, but I was 42% stronger. I was created, a little sip of happiness, made for gintlemen and gintlewomen in the finest nightclub, for ginsters in the trendiest town and for true country folk in the wildest nature.”

At the World Spirits Award, Nest Gin Alpine London Dry received gold.

Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Schwarze & Schlichte – Brand personalities from Westphalia

The family business Schwarze & Schlichte from Westphalia has been representing the highest quality spirits for the last 345 years with a distinct range of national specialities, regional traditional brands and successful international innovations. This top quality is based on a distilling tradition acquired over centuries which has been passed down over twelve generations. Even today, distilling and maceration still take place at the company’s own distillery where plenty of time and skill are invested. The selection and processing of the best raw materials and continuous control of the production process ensure a consistently high quality. One factor for success is the ongoing brand management in accordance with the specific requirements of the various brand personalities.

Three Sixty Vodka is one of the purest and mildest vodkas in the world. A fourfold distillation process ensures tangible softness and exceptional clarity while the purity of the vodka is all down to the time-consuming “Diamond Filtration” process: the finest filters are used, set with crystals like diamond dust, to remove even the smallest of suspended particles from the distillate. Even the packaging is unique: the facet-cut bottle of pure white shiny glass sets off this premium vodka to perfection. A black velvet label completes the sophisticated design.

The Grappa Bianca from Scavi & Ray is characterised by its full-bodied balanced flavour with powerful and intense aromas of marc. This crystal-clear brandy is soft and deliciously balanced thanks to the exquisite skill of the master distillery. The intense and fruity aroma is reminiscent of the sun-soaked vineyards in Italy.

Both products received a silver medal at the World-Spirits.