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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.

MBG International Premium Brands – Brands with added value

“We Love Liquids.” This slogan has accompanied MBG on its worldwide path of success since it was founded in 1993 under the name P.O.S. Marketing + Vertrieb GmbH: Strong brands have been established around the world in nearly 60 countries, with innovative own brands, renowned retail brands, great ideas and a lot of energy. With over 250 employees, the MBG Group currently generates over € 200 million and, every year, more than a million hectolitres are produced. The portfolio in Germany includes 12 own brands and 6 retail brands (from non-alcoholic drinks to low proof drinks to wines & spirits) for 90,000 customers.

“Our recipe for successful brands is the mixture of passion, conviction and knowledge of the market. If all goes well, names and products become new worlds which consumers love. Success is not always predictable, which means that courage is needed above all. The right moment has to be found and hard work put in, just like with a hit single: some are one hit wonders while others become classics.” Little can be added to this definition from Managing Director Andreas W. Herb. From the MBG Group headquarters in Paderborn, a great deal of expertise makes successful brands, tailored to the respective target group and the market segment. Many brands that are well known on shop shelves and in the gastronomy sector have played a role in the history of the company.

Participation in the World Spirits Award yielded gold for Dos Mas Nasty Nuts Shot.

Bacardi: A world of brands with a value system

Don Facundo Bacardi was born near Barcelona and emigrated to Santiago de Cuba in 1830, where he founded a small distillery in 1862 at Calle Matadero 57. His wife Amalia discovered a colony of bats under their roof; bats are thought to provide protection for cultural assets by the local Taíno people, the indigenous population of Cuba. In Spain, bats are a symbol of health, happiness and family unity. And so this became the trademark of the new rum – now one of the most renowned logos in the spirits industry.

Bacardi is the world’s biggest privately owned company dealing in spirits, offering over 200 rum, vodka, whisky, gin, vermouth and tequila products which are sold around the world. The main brands include BACARDI Rum, ERISTOFF Vodka, MARTINI Vermouth, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin and GREY GOOSE Vodka. In 1877, Bacardi won their first gold medal for quality at the World’s Fair in Spain, and many more were to follow. In 1910, they opened their first international plant in Barcelona, the family’s hometown. In 1916, another bottling plant in New York followed. In the 1920s, Bacardi acquired a reputation as a symbol of luxury and lifestyle with a special kind of advertising. This holds true even today. The BACARDI Rum brand has become a symbol of the Caribbean and not just because this is where it has its roots; it also brings consumers that much closer to this ‘paradise’.

The Master Class Distillery 2024 received gold for Reserva Ocho, Superior, Spiced & Cola Ready-To-Drink and Reserva Ocho Rye Cask, and silver for Caribbean Spiced, Toasted Coconut Colada Ready-To-Drink, Mojito Ready-To-Drink, Roasted Pineapple Rum Punch Ready-To-Drink and Caribbean Espresso Rumtini Ready-To-Drink.

Feinbrennerei Simon – The art of distilling from the Spessart peaks

This distillery in Wolfsgrund close to Alzenau was founded in 1879 by the great-great-grandfather of the current owner Severin Simon and the portrait of Johann Simon can be found on every bottle. The classic range comprises fine fruit and fiery fruit brandies, an international range and the highlight products of whiskey, vodka (made from spelt), gin and brandy (distilled from Pinot noir). Regionality is a priority in the production of these authentic, unmistakeable products. The majority of the fruits come from the distillery’s own fruit trees and other plants from the Kahlgrund area. Preservation of the local cultural landscape with its charming valleys, meadows, vineyards, fields and woods plays a key role.

Storage in wooden barrels made from Spessart oak is particularly important and an essential part of expanding the range of high quality brandies. Experience in the careful handling of brandy and wood has led to some magnificent flavoured from these cask-aged specialities. Lots of local fruit varieties have been used from apples to damsons as well as wines from the company’s own vineyards and local grain. In terms of the whiskey, home-grown barley, quality Franconian malt, the finest Spessart oak, a few secret ingredients and lots of passion create a real explosion. The ‘whisky pope Jim Murray’ was particularly impressed: “Fascinating and very different ... definitely worth buying”.

This emphasises the convincing performance at the World Spirits Award: the company was classified as a Master Class Distillery 2013 with gold for the Mirabelle plum, cherry, Zwetschge Holz (damson wood) and Bavaria Whiskey as well as silver for the Wolfsschluchtwasser (apple brandy), apple brandy, coffee spirit and Gin Next Level.