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Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

myAlps: ISEL°GIN: Premium product from the Alps

This Premium Mountain Gin made in East Tyrol has been produced since 2017 by Marcel Steiner, Michael Obwexer and distiller Josef Berger. The idea behind it was to put a regional premium product on the market that went with the times yet also stood out on the vast premium gin market.

With this handmade product, all botanicals are prepared and processed by hand. The gin is distilled according to old traditions with a 100-year-old furnace, hand-fired with various types of wood, on 85-year-old Josef Berger’s farm. Uncompromising quality without additives or artificial aromas has been the philosophy here for over 60 years. All bottles are filled, and each label stuck on, by hand.

For this Alpine-Mediterranean gin, the geographical location of East Tyrol, to the south of the Alps and near the Italian border, offered quite a bit of potential for the best ingredients. Organic oranges and organic limes from Friuli, cranberries from Tyrol, native stone pine and mountain thyme give the ‘blue’ ISEL°GIN Klassik its fine aroma with a lighter juniper note. Since 2018, the ISEL°GIN BLACK EDITION has been available for friends of classic gin. Plenty of juniper, black pepper, lemongrass, rosemary and chokeberries provide a wide range of aromas and a bit more power – a perfect alternative to the classic. Production takes place in small quantities of no more than 100 litres or 200 bottles per month. Customers include bars and hotels, and it is delivered to many European countries. The fact that most customers order time and again is a good sign of their approval.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for ISEL°GIN BLACK EDITION, and bronze for ISEL°GIN KLASSIK.

Skiclub Kampen: Purism from the North Sea

In 1989, Pius Regli and Jörg Hinck founded the Kampen ski club whilst enjoying an excellent, home-distilled vodka on the island of Sylt. From then on they competed against each other every year in a ski race in Zermatt, and the winner became the club president for the following year. In 2012, Ulrich Graf, a businessman from Dortmund and manager of Skiclub Kampen GmbH, developed the spirits and designed the unique bottle for North Sea, the premium brand name for gin, vodka and vodka-based drinks. The demands are high for this handcrafted alcohol from Germany. The basis for all the spirits is the vodka, five-times distilled and filtered extremely slowly through a silver dust filter.

After intensive observation of the market, Ulrich Graf only saw the chance to make their mark amongst the global players and established brands with a unique bottle: “The bottle should be recognisable from 15 to 20 metres distance from across the club.” The bottle design of a French manufacturer convinced them: it underscores the purity of the content with its purist form – inspired by the clear countryside of the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. After six months’ development, an all-over coating was found which felt warm and soft, and from which condensed water rolled off. Every flavour has its own colour which corresponds to the colour of the drink (for example, a bright, strong red for blood orange with vodka), sending out a clear message.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for North Sea Gin and North Sea Vodka.