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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.

Jim Beam Distillery – Bourbon straight on

Knob Creek is named after a rivulet in Kentucky, the home of President Abraham Lincoln. His steadfast attitude seems to serve as an example for this straightforward bourbon. The square ‘chemist’s bottle’ suits these traditional values perfectly, as does the striking label which is reminiscent of the old tradition of wrapping bottles in newspaper. To this day, a mixture of experience and craftsmanship is the recipe for success for the bourbon from Knob Creek.

The bourbon was at the peak of its success in 1919, when the nationwide prohibition of the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol began – lasting until 1933. Following this, a new start was impossible for many distilleries; others couldn’t finance the customary long maturing process of the bourbon. This situation motivated Booker Noe to revive the traditional bourbon style from the time before the prohibition: rich in aroma, with discreet sweetness due to year-long maturation in strongly ‘toasted’ wooden barrels from American white oak. In 1950, he joined the family business – his mother was the daughter of Jim Beam, which meant bourbon was already in his blood – and completed his training as Master Distiller. With the small series of premium bourbon he launched, the term ‘batch’ (small) was established and revolutionised the industry. His son, Fred Noe, continues with this clear strategy: “I learnt the business from scratch, listened to my father and learnt on the job. I know what it means to make perfect bourbon. Each bottle is a reflection of my family.” Since 1992, the Knob Creek brand has represented these values with the perfect combination of tradition and top quality.

A golden trio was successful at the World Spirits Award: Knob Creek Rye Whiskey Small Batch, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and Knob Creek Straight Bourbon.

Rum Enterprise: A new era of Cuban rum

Towards the end of 2020, the French spirits company Moët Hennessy announced the market launch of Eminente Reserva. The rum was developed with César Martí, Maestro Ronero of the enterprise Cuba Ron. He experiments with different degrees of maturation of aguardientes, especially aromatic and complex sugar cane distillates, in different surroundings and barrels. Eminente Reserva represents a combination of the two Cuban rum types, the intensive-dry Occidente and the fruity-mild Oriente, inspired by the 19th century, enriched by a mix of different sugar cane distillates that have been stored for years in whisky barrels made of white oak. The proportion of 70 percent by volume aguardientes is one of the highest in the country and sets new benchmarks. Eminente Gran Reserva, a ten-year-old rum that received a three-month finish in French oak barrels, matured in a cellar where water evaporates faster than alcohol, hence the above-average alcohol content.

The Eminente rums are among the few in Cuba that carry the Denominación de Origen Protegida status. The protected designation of origin regulates authenticity and high standards. The newcomer is the aromatic Carta Oro, a five-year-old Cuban rum, which corresponds to the minimum ageing period of its most recent aguardientes in barrels. It matures in white oak barrels that were previously used for whisky, and at 40.3% vol. follows the Cuban rum tradition.

Eminente Reserva, Eminente Gran Reserva Edition N°2 and Eminente Carta Oro won Gold at the World Spirits Award.

Young Henrys – New World vibe

Freshly drawn beer at the bar, good music and high spirits. Young Henrys brewery and distillery, founded in Newtown, Australia, in 2012, has a particular flair – seven days a week. It is like a festival that attracts musicians, artists, environmentalists, activists and free thinkers. It is the home of individualists, each with something interesting to say or do, and in the centre, like a huge, invisible magnet: beer. This is what happens when you have the right idea in the right place at the right time. The same goes for the Noble Cut Gin. It also ‘rocks’.

Just like beer, the base is 100% grain, without additives or enhancers. Triple distilled and then refined with classic botanicals: juniper, coriander, orange peel, cinnamon bark, liquorice root and angelica root. But wait a minute! Because brewers are involved here, there is an additional, special ingredient in the gin: hops, grown on site, which create a certain yeasty hint, almost like a fine white wine. However, this is not the only local ingredient: the unique pepperberry (mountain pepper), local bush tomatoes and Australian Sencha tea are also added. The result: very aromatic, complex New World stylistics.

At the World Spirits Award, the Noble Cut, which is full of character, was also enjoyed by the jury and received gold.