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Euelsberger Brennerei: Production in the Eifel region

Owner and master distiller Stephan Thomé and his wife Claudia run the 2017 start-up in Dingdorf in the Eifel region. There wasn’t a distillery on his parents’ farm – the new production facility was installed in the old calf shed. “My parents tell me my great-grandfather would have loved it. We love the materials of copper and stainless steel, and the way the light falls on them through the old stable windows.”

The name of the business comes from the Euelsberg, where they have a traditional orchard with tall trees growing apples, pears, damsons, Mirabelle plums, greengage plums and walnuts. They produce fruit brandies, spirits and various gins, all in the New Western Gin category. In the development phase, the distiller played around with over 120 herbs in his aroma lab, the result was twelve varieties, of which three were chosen for the first batch. Each gin has its own individual note, from spicy and fresh to floral and oriental.

The botanicals – be they from their own land or from around the world – are carefully selected and are of the same highest quality as those used in top restaurants and homeopathy. Many ingredients are from organic farms and are harvested by hand. In the small production facility, all stages are carried out by hand. The gin is carefully filtered to preserve the aroma and is bottled by hand to then mature first in steel barrels and then for months in the bottle itself.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Laux Premium #1, Laux Premium #3, White Vermouth and Red Vermouth with Majorcan oranges, and silver for Laux Premium #2.

Brennerei Schulze Rötering: Sophisticated recipes from Münsterland

The picturesque manor in Westphalia surrounded by a moat is run by the 6th generation of the Schulze Rötering family. Alcohol has been artisanally distilled from wheat here with passion since 1767. The most important roles are played by first-class raw materials, especially wheat, from the company’s own fields. Fruits, herbs, spices and fruit juices also play their part in the quality of the distillates, spirits and liqueurs. The soil and the excellent water of the Münsterland Cretaceous Basin are characteristic of this region that produces first-class agricultural products.

Distillation takes place in a specially made facility with an over 19-metre-high, copper rectification plant which is visible from afar. Inside there are 60 bubble cap trays for the complex distillation which is vital for the purity of the alcohol. The mild, aromatic middle run is responsible for around 60 percent of it. The interplay of fine ingredients creates sensory experiences that leave a lasting impression. The later storage of the premium products in old wooden barrels (previously containing red wine, Madeira, Grand Marnier or bourbon) allows the distillates to combine with the aromas of the previous content as well as the wood. Bottling only takes place after a long maturing process.

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Münsterländer Doppelkorn, gold for Münsterländer Edelkorn aged in a bourbon barrel 32%, Münsterländer Edelkorn aged in a rum barrel and Wodka N° 1 aged in a Jack Daniel’s barrel, and silver for Wodka N° 2 aged in a brandy barrel.