World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Guggenbichler – Spirits specialist from the Chiemgau region

As a small boy, he helped collect the mashed fruit from the barrels and was later introduced to the secrets of distilling by his father, says the fruit-grower and master distiller Johann Guggenbichler. Fine quality brandies have been distilled at the family estate since 1829 and the business is now in its 5th generation. The brandy sommelier shares the particular features of these traditional local fruit varieties with visitors during seminars and tasting sessions.

The business is located in the picturesque Chiemgau mountains and the gently rolling hills of the Alpine uplands, at the heart of the fruit orchards where fruits ripen for use in the authentic Guggenbichler products. The varieties grown here range from apple brandy aged in oak barrels, apricot (brandy and liqueur), top-quality pear, blackberry and espresso liqueur, Gravenstein apple, hazelnut spirit, raspberry spirit and liqueur, elderberry brandy, coffee liqueur, cherry brandy and liqueur, herb spirit and liqueur, distillates made from Mirabelle plums, fruits, peaches and plums (brandy and liqueur), quince (brandy and liqueur), Ramazottl, sloe, pomace and rowanberry brandies, walnut liqueur, Williams pear (brandy and liqueur) and plum brandy.


Many spirits enthusiasts and long-standing regular customers come here regularly to stock up on their favourite fruit flavour. The brandies and liqueurs come packaged in wooden boxes and therefore make popular gifts. These top-quality spirits are highly valued in the world of gastronomy; Germany’s top chef, Heinz Winkler, ‘resides’ in nearby Aschau and recommends trying a ‘Guggenbichler’.

The World Spirits Award resulted in classification as a First Class Distillery 2014 with gold for sloe and black elderberry, and silver for apricot and yellow Williams pear.

Anton Riemerschmid – Premium Tea Liqueur with a history

The name Anton Riemerschmid – a company of the Underberg Group – refers to a pioneer in the manufacture of spirits. Anton Riemerschmid was an inventive citizen of the world, who devised many specialities or brought them to Germany. He travelled the world for centuries in search of new aromas and new flavour sensations. One such is also TIFFIN, a Premium Tea Liqueur distilled from selected high quality tea varieties.

The story of tea began in China around 2750 BC. Legend has it that as the Emperor Shen Nung sat in the shade of wild tea trees whilst boiling some water, the wind blew some of the tea leaves into the pot, which gave the water an exquisite flavour. Today the delicious flavour of tea is expertly combined into the production of liqueur to create a unique product with a light refreshing taste. TIFFIN tastes equally good neat, mixed or with ice, and is a market leader in Japan.

TIFFIN won Gold at the World Spirits Award.

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

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.