World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now
he ultimate guide through the world of spirits - with current ratings of the best distilleries and commercial enterprises.
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Destillerie
Company:
Juniper Tree Trading
Address:
Edmund-Kohler-Str. 24
Place:
73433 Aalen
Country:
Germany
Homepage:
Products:
- Gin
Juniper Tree Trading: The Spy Gin
This London Dry Gin was born out of a special passion for gin, combined with the raw beauty of the Swabian Alb and carefully selected botanicals such as coriander, cardamom, orange and lemon peel, cloves, ginger, and others. A long time was spent deciding on a name, labels, logo, bottle, content and much more, as owner Peter Frey remembers:
“My master distiller has over 20 years’ experience in making gin and has achieved absolute harmony when it comes to maceration and the interaction of the botanicals. Following distillation and the reduction of alcohol to drinking strength, the gin is bottled, with only 250 bottles per batch, labelled by hand and wrapped in black tissue paper to give The Spy an air of secrecy. The corks are also handmade and each is branded with the logo using a lever press and branding iron – it shows the spy of Aalen with his beard and pipe, who watches over the inhabitants of the town from the town hall on the market square – and this is how the tale goes.”
As the imperial cities were in conflict with the Emperor, his army was already camped outside the town. The frightened people of Aalen sent the cleverest man to the enemy camp to determine the strength of the troops. The spy was caught and brought before the Emperor. When asked what he was doing there, the spy answered, “Do not be startled, Lord, I just wanted to see how many guns and such you all have. You see, I’m the spy from Aalen.” The Emperor laughed at his candour and pretend simplemindedness and piled gifts on him, letting the inhabitants know that it was his pleasure to live in peace alongside such clever and brave people and forgiving the town fathers.
At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for The Spy Gin.
This London Dry Gin was born out of a special passion for gin, combined with the raw beauty of the Swabian Alb and carefully selected botanicals such as coriander, cardamom, orange and lemon peel, cloves, ginger, and others. A long time was spent deciding on a name, labels, logo, bottle, content and much more, as owner Peter Frey remembers:
“My master distiller has over 20 years’ experience in making gin and has achieved absolute harmony when it comes to maceration and the interaction of the botanicals. Following distillation and the reduction of alcohol to drinking strength, the gin is bottled, with only 250 bottles per batch, labelled by hand and wrapped in black tissue paper to give The Spy an air of secrecy. The corks are also handmade and each is branded with the logo using a lever press and branding iron – it shows the spy of Aalen with his beard and pipe, who watches over the inhabitants of the town from the town hall on the market square – and this is how the tale goes.”
As the imperial cities were in conflict with the Emperor, his army was already camped outside the town. The frightened people of Aalen sent the cleverest man to the enemy camp to determine the strength of the troops. The spy was caught and brought before the Emperor. When asked what he was doing there, the spy answered, “Do not be startled, Lord, I just wanted to see how many guns and such you all have. You see, I’m the spy from Aalen.” The Emperor laughed at his candour and pretend simplemindedness and piled gifts on him, letting the inhabitants know that it was his pleasure to live in peace alongside such clever and brave people and forgiving the town fathers.
At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for The Spy Gin.
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 94.3 | "The Spy" Gin | 2020 | Details |
Destillerie
Company:
Heidebrennerei Bosselmann
Address:
Kuhlhof 7
Place:
21272 Egestorf
Country:
Germany
Homepage:
Products:
- Gin
Heidebrennerei Bosselmann: Chemist and botanist, hunter and gatherer
The Heidebrennerei Distillery lies amidst the Luneburg Heath at the gateway to Hamburg. All their botanicals grow in the immediate vicinity in the largest heather biosphere reserve amidst moors and the 4,000-year-old burial mounds that characterise this rough landscape. The basis of their range is always formed by a strong hint of juniper, rounded off with a fruity body of sloe, wild blackberries and cranberries. The fresh citrus flavour of the Heidegin (heath gin) is provided by lemon balm, lemon verbena and fresh Douglas fir. Further botanicals include juniper branches and heather.
Gerhard Bosselmann and two herb ladies – the heart of the distillery – gather many ingredients themselves. Nearly all the botanicals are ground by hand to best release the essential oils. The mash is processed in stages over 72 hours and the distilling process ends at 40% to ensure an optimal taste. The gin is always unfiltered. Barrel Aged Gin is a speciality for which previously used oak and chestnut barrels are utilised.
The softest water from sources under filtering moors and sand dunes is guided over rose quartz and semi-precious stones after an ion exchange to relax it. “The distillery is a 120-litre facility, we produce the smallest batches in a London Dry Gin procedure in Germany’s purportedly smallest private gin distillery – under the motto of slow distillation at a low temperature. I am determined not to focus on quantity and profit. Only in this way can the fragile aromas release slowly, without partially dissolving the wood-body of rose hip, sloe and currant pips. Each bottle is a little work of art that is filled, sealed and labelled by hand”, as Mr. Bosselmann says.
At the World Spirits Award, there was Double Gold for Sailors Gin – Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award 2026, and Gold for Heidegin and Csardas.
The Heidebrennerei Distillery lies amidst the Luneburg Heath at the gateway to Hamburg. All their botanicals grow in the immediate vicinity in the largest heather biosphere reserve amidst moors and the 4,000-year-old burial mounds that characterise this rough landscape. The basis of their range is always formed by a strong hint of juniper, rounded off with a fruity body of sloe, wild blackberries and cranberries. The fresh citrus flavour of the Heidegin (heath gin) is provided by lemon balm, lemon verbena and fresh Douglas fir. Further botanicals include juniper branches and heather.
Gerhard Bosselmann and two herb ladies – the heart of the distillery – gather many ingredients themselves. Nearly all the botanicals are ground by hand to best release the essential oils. The mash is processed in stages over 72 hours and the distilling process ends at 40% to ensure an optimal taste. The gin is always unfiltered. Barrel Aged Gin is a speciality for which previously used oak and chestnut barrels are utilised.
The softest water from sources under filtering moors and sand dunes is guided over rose quartz and semi-precious stones after an ion exchange to relax it. “The distillery is a 120-litre facility, we produce the smallest batches in a London Dry Gin procedure in Germany’s purportedly smallest private gin distillery – under the motto of slow distillation at a low temperature. I am determined not to focus on quantity and profit. Only in this way can the fragile aromas release slowly, without partially dissolving the wood-body of rose hip, sloe and currant pips. Each bottle is a little work of art that is filled, sealed and labelled by hand”, as Mr. Bosselmann says.
At the World Spirits Award, there was Double Gold for Sailors Gin – Spirit of the Year & World Spirits Award 2026, and Gold for Heidegin and Csardas.
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Gold | 96.3 | Sailors Gin | 2026 | Details |
| Gold | 91 | Csardas | 2026 | Details |
| Gold | 90 | Heidegin | 2026 | Details |
Handel
Company:
BURSCHIK`S R. Nfg. Erste österr. Wermutwein-Kellerei
Address:
Zinckgasse 8
Place:
1150 Wien
Country:
Austria
Homepage:
Products:
- Spirituosen Wiederverkauf
- Destillerie
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 92.3 | Burschik's Vermouth Klassik | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 92 | Burschik's Vermouth Oak | 2021 | Details |
| Gold | 91.3 | Burschik's Vermouth Dry | 2021 | Details |
| Silver | 88 | Burschik's Vermouth Red | 2021 | Details |
Handel
Company:
Kanonikus Xantener Dom Destillerie GmbH
Address:
Hubert-Underberg-Allee 1
Place:
47493 Rheinberg
Country:
Germany
Homepage:
Products:
- Destillerie
- Spirituosen Wiederverkauf
| Awards | Points | Spirit | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 86 | Kanonikus | 2012 | Details |