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Tradition Mexico – Tequila without compromises

The friends behind Padre azul, the new tequila in the premium segment, stand united on one matter: their passion for Mexico. “We appreciate high quality tequila, and with Padre azul we are bringing an exclusive product to Europe. We searched for the perfect distillery for a long time. At Tres Mujeres in Jalisco in the highlands of Mexico we found what we were looking for.” 100% Mexico – 100% handcraft – 100% agave.

These requirements and quality criteria apply to the whole production process, which is why each bottle also wears the sought-after quality seal from the Mexican authorities, “Consejo Regulador del Tequila” (CRT). There were no compromises when it came to the design of the bottles: they are made by hand and adorned with a 270g skull which represents the skull culture of Mexico.

Padre azul is available in three grades of maturity, depending on the length of storage. The Añejo usually spends eighteen months in French oak barrels to achieve a mature, full-bodied taste. The Reposado needs at least eight months in barrels for its subtle vanilla tone. The Blanco is a clear tequila which is bottled straight after distillation – it is soft and mild in taste. None of the three need salt or lemon – you can enjoy them neat. True to the motto: no compromises.

At the World Spirits Award, the trio was very successful: there was double gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul anejo, gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul reposado, and silver for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul blanco.

Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).

95 WOB-Punkte - Broker's Gin - Gold
Broker's Gin Limited London, AT-1190 Wien, www.topspirit.at
Fragrance: Classic aroma, juniper berries, a lot of citrus-orange freshness, a lot of ethereal oils, peely spiciness, fresh herbs. Taste: Intense juniper aroma, fresh citrus and orange notes, meadow herbs, mint, cinnamon, anise, coriander, somewhat floral touch, nice fruit sweetness, full-bodied, powerful, very long on the palate. Inhalt: 700 ml, Preis: 14,99 EUR

Turku Distillery: Enthusiasts on the way to an ideal vodka

Two engineers, Tapio Järvenpää and Jari Varjo, came up with the idea of their own vodka as they were sailing through the Turku archipelago. They felt that there were not enough handcrafted vodkas and that the market was going in the wrong direction with more and more filtering methods. They wanted a vodka where they could easily say what it consisted of and how it was made. “Charcoal belongs to the barbecue, sand to the beach, silver to the table, platinum to the catalytic converter and diamonds to jewellery. None of these are required for making vodka, unless mistakes are made in the selection of raw materials or in the production process.” With the engineers’ love of precision, the bar was raised high. Along with acquaintances from various professions – Pasi Kuronen, a foodstuffs and marketing professional, Sami Halinen, an IT and process technician, and Petteri Rosenberg, a gastronomy expert and retailer – they founded the company in 2020.

Kaiho Single Estate Organic Vodka is a handcrafted, unsweetened, unfiltered organic vodka from the southwest of Finland. The entire production takes place within their own facilities. From the outset, their own vodka with a 96% basis was produced: SSWB (Spirit of Southwest Breeze) made of local organic winter wheat, ground on-site, mashed and fermented, and then distilled in a high-quality 20-step column still. It is diluted to 40.2 percentage by volume with crystal clear water from a natural spring 50 kilometres away. Production is climate-neutral; with emission-free electricity, heating through an organic power plant and the processing of by-products to organic energy.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Kaiho Single Estate Organic Vodka.