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Georg Hemmeter – XUXU, Escorial, SILLA EL FUERTE

Georg Hemmeter – strawberry drinks with exceptional flavour guaranteed

The name Georg Hemmeter – a company of the Underberg Group – stands for innovative spirits, in particular the XUXU range. The fresh and fruity strawberry drink contains 66 percent fruit plus crystal-clear vodka, rounded off with a dash of lime. The harmony between the sweetness of the fruit and just 15% alcohol by volume is created using a special production method. XUXU Ten, the little luxury in a 250 ml aluminium bottle with only 10% alcohol by volume, is dressed to party – it is still relatively new to the market, yet is already at home in all the world’s top party venues.
XUXU can be served in so many different ways: chilled, neat, on crushed ice, as a dessert topping, with sparkling wine or with other mixers – XUXU tastes heavenly and offers fresh and fruity pleasure. Welcome to Berrydise!

Initially the absolute top star in Greece, XUXU is now also number 1 in Russia, and extremely popular in Turkey and Italy too.


XUXU Strawberry & Vodka Drink and XUXU Ten won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2014.

Hartingowe Brennerei: Gin, with a difference

When Nico and Marco Martinato opened the doors to their gin distillery in 2020, they had no intention of bringing ‘just another gin’ onto the market. The idea was to create a memorable gin with a distinctly alternative character that would awaken and stimulate all the senses.

The secret of a good gin lies in the selection of the best ingredients, which account for at least 80 percent of the finished quality. In addition to the recipe, aroma-preserving distillation and maturation play an important role, but an outstanding end product is based on the uncompromising selection of the highest quality botanicals. Besides juniper from Piedmont, these include coriander from Morocco, cubeb pepper from Java, allspice from Jamaica, cloves from Madagascar, calamus from India, oranges from Sicily, lemons from the Amalfi Coast, rock roses from Portugal, and sloes, herbs and spruce buds from the mountains and foothills of Harz. Moreover, the quality of the water used plays an enormously important and often overlooked role. The distillery is located on the edge of the Harz Mountains and is blessed by nature with pure and very soft water directly from the mountain springs: ‘made by the Harz Mountains’.

In addition to London Dry Gin and other gin variations, the family distillery produces other fine spirits made from wild fruits and exclusive herbs. A classic absinthe verte made from home-grown wormwood is also part of the repertoire of the passionate uncle and nephew team.

At the World Spirits Award, Hartingowe Sloe Gin won gold and Hartingowe Dry Gin silver.

Plomari Ouzo Distillery Isidoros Arvanitis: Original ouzo from Lesvos

Plomari on Lesvos is known as the home of ouzo. In 1894, Isidoros Arvanitis combined local ingredients with herbs which he had gathered from all around the world in a copper still. The famous recipe for Ouzo of Plomari Isidoros Arvanitis, current market leader in Greece, was born.

The distillery is located in an olive grove in picturesque Plomari, the village where ouzo has been produced for more than 125 years. The increase in export activity made the relocation to this larger plant necessary, where traditional production along with modern bottle filling and packaging take place. Today, Plomari Ouzo exports more than 76% of its production. The distillery is 100% family-owned and adheres to traditional methods.

The distillation in small, handmade copper vats for nine hours and the high-quality, local ingredients, combined with the top secret recipe, give the Ouzo of Plomari its characteristic aroma. The recipe that has remained unchanged for more than a century brings together the ideal ingredient proportions: soft water from the sources of the Sedounta river in Plomari, of course aniseed from Lisvori (which is considered the best in the world), fennel, star aniseed, cinnamon, nutmeg and mastic extract from Chios, a selection of herbs from Lesvos and salt from the salt marshes of Kalloni. Still today, this delicate yet rich delight is filled in a traditional bottle with typical corks.

The Ouzo of Plomari Citrus Liqueur is a blend of 100% Ouzo of Plomari with Greek citrus extracts, selected herbs and spices. The liqueur follows the traditional production, but has a milder, sweeter profile with hints of citrus. At 34% vol. it can be served chilled, on ice or in cocktails and complements the aniseed flavours of ouzo.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, Gold was awarded to Ouzo of Plomari Citrus Liqueur.