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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.

LA SU Gin: Exotic holiday feeling in a glass

Alexander Kayser and Christopher Schuh are true gin lovers and founders of the brand LA SU Gin – a registered brand of Expo Outline Messebau und Event GmbH in Altenstadt, with Alexander Kayser as the managing partner.

After exploring many trains of thought, it was clear to both of them that it had to be exotic. LA SU Gin is a premium handcrafted gin with a hint of fruity mango. Distilled in small batches, traditionally and without additives, it is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Europe. The mango gives it a special freshness and balances the tart notes of the spices perfectly. Next to the mango, LA SU evokes a sense of travel. Enjoy a holiday feeling and discover new taste sensations. The elaborate bottle design reflects a love of detail and certainly leaves an impression.

At the World Spirits Award, bronze was achieved by LA SU *MGO* Natural Mango.

Leibwächter: Herbal bitters with 58 herbs

Leibwächter is a traditional product made in Austria. The highest quality herbs from all around the world are cold-macerated with precision and the essences from them are processed to a unique elixir with over 145 years of experience of the Mozart Distillery in Salzburg. Leibwächter contains macerates of medically valued herbs such as mallow, wormwood, lesser centaury, sloe, angelica, rosemary and many others.

In this process, the ingredients are covered in alcohol, macerated for two weeks and then distilled in a vacuum distillation process. In this way, high quality is guaranteed. Leibwächter is mostly sold in 0.04 litre bottles at supermarket checkouts and, on average, more than ten million bottles are sold per year.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Leibwächter.

Walter Trausner: New beginnings with gin

Mr Trausner’s story begins at the start of the 1990s. After studying distillery and fermentation technology, he founded the Gasser-Trausner distillery in the Lungau region in the province of Salzburg, but was forced to close it less than ten years later. At the beginning of 2000, Walter Trausner and his wife, Eva, founded the ‘Trausners Genusswerkstatt’ factory and made a name for themselves with jams and sweets. In 2015, he invented ENZO Alpin, the world’s first soft drink made from gentian. Cordials soon followed, and then a second ENZO Alpin soft drink and two spirits: a bitter liqueur based on citrus fruit and gentian, and a London Dry Gin.

From 2019, Walter Trausner once again started to apply himself to the art of distillation and combined his experience with his usual perfectionist demands of the products. As well as gin, he also plans to distil single-variety grain distillates and whisky. Each kind of grain has its own particular taste – and this advantage is used to create a suitable distillate for each grain. The regional components also play a vital role, as the Lungau microclimate and pure mountain spring water offer ideal conditions for the maturing and mashing processes.

The first distillate from the Trausner company was a classic London Dry Gin made from wheat brandy, 23 botanicals and fresh organic bitter orange peel. The recipe dates back to 1997, when the distiller was one of the first in Austria to take a chance on what, at that time, was just a novelty: gin. He currently reinterprets old knowledge from monastery distilleries and produces liqueurs using an elaborate procedure – the basis are homemade grain spirits from local types of grain.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Lungaus Gentle Giant – New Single Malt, and silver for Lungaus Gentle Giant – Herb Liqueur and Lungaus Gentle Giant – APERO Liqueur.