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Roust Hungary: Affordable luxury on the spirits market

Roust was founded in 1992 by the Russian businessman Roustam Tariko and quickly developed into a leading business group in the sale of premium spirits brands. One of the world’s leading vodka producers, the company is present in more than 80 countries. Roust owns production plants and distribution centres in Hungary, Russia and Italy. The comprehensive portfolio includes the flagship vodka brands of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Zhuravli.

Thanks to its extensive knowledge in sales and marketing and its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, Roust Hungary has become the leading supplier on the domestic spirits market. The largest premium spirits company in Hungary also sells the Royal, Zubrówka, Russian Standard, Gancia, Grants, Jägermeister and Metaxa brands.

For years, Royal Vodka has maintained its position as the most popular and well-known vodka brand in Hungary, and also remains market leader in terms of volume and turnover. Royal Vodka is produced using natural ingredients, from the grain to the well water, which contributes to its mild taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Royal Original Vodka, and bronze for Royal Raspberry Liqueur.

Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.

Pfalzdrusel Gin: Let a wonderful friendship beGIN

The friends Philipp, Paul and Tobias set themselves the goal of creating a gin that is 100% local to the Palatinate region. It conveys a zest for life and is fun: interesting and expressive, but simple and uncomplicated. It therefore had to be an organic gin. Spruce needles, lavender, rosemary and nettles represent the oasis of wellbeing of the Palatinate Forest. Blueberries, orange, lemon and bitter orange ensure freshness and lightness. Juniper brings the typical character into the glass. “That is the Palatinate region with all its facets and tastes, characterised by our way of life, culture and love of our homeland.”

The mascot of Pfalzdrusel Gin is the fairy-tale creature Dallas. One sunny Saturday, a little otter from Ottersheim ran through the forest to Bellheim. On the way it met a dog. The two of them hit it off and made their way to Kleinfischlingen, where the dog knew a funny fish. They had great fun and did not notice an old witch sneaking up, who wanted to put an end to the racket the three were making. She uttered a magic spell: three are now one! There was thunder and lightning, fog rose. When it receded, the witch had disappeared. There was also no trace of the dog, otter or fish. Instead, there lay a little animal with an otter’s head, a fish’s tail and dog’s legs. At the same time, the three friends Philipp, Tobias and Paul were on a merry wine tour when they discovered the little animal. They took it home, gave it the name Dallas and called the new species ‘Pfalzdrusel’.

Pfalzdrusel Gin achieved gold at the World Spirits Award.

Euelsberger Brennerei: Production in the Eifel region

Owner and master distiller Stephan Thomé runs the 2017 start-up in Dingdorf. He converted the old calf shed on his parents’ farm into a distillery. The name of the business comes from the Euelsberg mountainside, where the farm has a traditional orchard with tall trees growing apples, pears, damsons, Mirabelle plums, greengage plums and walnuts. In 2023, the distillery was extended by a unique GIN SCHOOL containing over 300 botanicals.

They produce fruit brandies, spirits, liqueurs and different categories of gin. In the development phase the distiller played around with over 120 herbs in his aroma lab. From the shortlist of twelve varieties, three were chosen for the first batch. In 2020, they added Gin #4 EIFEL with botanicals from the immediate vicinity. In 2022, Gin #5 SUMMER with mandarin, lemon and pepper took up the inspiration of Gin #1 PEPPER & LEMON, and rounded it off with cocoa bean and coriander. Each gin has its own individual note, from spicy and fresh to floral and oriental. In 2023, the first SLOE GIN was created. The basis is Gin #4 EIFEL, in which handpicked sloes are soaked and macerated for at least six months.

The botanicals from their own fields and from around the world are carefully selected and are of the same highest quality as those used in top restaurants and in homeopathy. Many ingredients are harvested by hand on organic farms. Every stage is carried out by hand as well. After the careful filtering and filling process, the gin is matured over months in steel barrels.

At the World Spirits Award, Gold was awarded to Euelsberger #2 Fifteen Flowers, and Silver to Euelsberger #4 Eifel.