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2B Hemp Gin: Styrian gin experience

Two visionaries, Armin Breinl (doctor, drink creator, musician) and Wolfgang Thomann (gin maker), have created a completely new gin experience with real hemp powder: 2B HEMP GIN (inspired by AEIJST). On 17th November 2018, the two invited guests to the first tasting of 2B HEMP GIN in the AEIJST GIN distillery in St. Nikolai in the Sausal Valley.

Made from organic juniper berries, this innovative gin has an impressive, mild and fruity taste and a typical hemp note. Due to its unique aroma, it not only tastes good neat, but also creates a ‘wow’ effect in cocktails – as proven in the long drink Styrian Pale Gin AEIJST refined with 2B HEMP.

For thousands of years, hemp has been grown as a valuable plant, be it for rope, fabric, paper or as an active ingredient in ointments and tinctures. Hemp has always been highly valued for its medicinal properties, yet recently has been demonised as an addictive drug and has suffered under its ensuing prohibition, originating in the USA. These days hemp is regaining importance and is being used more as a luxury food as well as in medicine as a therapeutic agent.

The Lifestyle Trading company, run by Armin Breinl, is an innovative beverage producer, which is already known amongst trade professionals for its sugar-free ‘func- tional fruit drinks’. The drinks have a high fruit content (more than 50 per cent) and additional natural, vital substances and have an energising, relaxing and regenerative effect.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for 2B HEMP GIN.

Berentzen Group: 260 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, there was Gold for Tres Países Premium Rum and Silver for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin.

Breaks Premium Dry Gin – Extraordinary recipe

Breaks Premium Dry Gin is manufactured in a small distillery in Karlsruhe in the traditional London Dry style. By hand, in many single stages, from the careful inspection of the hand-picked ingredients to the bottling and numbering of the elegant bottles. The naturally secret recipe is extraordinary: as well as juniper berries, there is also fennel, camomile, cardamom, coriander, cubeb pepper, lavender, larch needles, orange blossoms, liquorice, cinnamon flowers and lemon peel. All botanicals come from controlled organic farming and are macerated in organic agricultural alcohol.

The ‘man behind the distillate’, Harald Reinholz, began his first distilling efforts in 2014 – his grandfather was a passionate distiller. After a year of experimenting, he settled on a final recipe: a harmonious composition of herbs, fruits and spices, fresh and fruity, gentle and mild. How you drink Breaks Gin, whether neat, on ice, with tonic or in a cocktail (recipes on the website!), is your own personal decision – either way, it’s grounds for a small timeout under the slogan ‘Take Your Break’. Anyone wanting to enjoy a ‘holistic’ gin experience, will also find glasses, mugs, T-shirts, caps and other accessories as well as aromatic liquid soaps in the Online Shop.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Breaks Reserve Dry Gin, and silver for Breaks Reserve (barrel-matured) Dry Gin.

Brennerei Bernhard Leitner: Top products from Tyrol

Bernhard Leitner’s roughly 200 fruit trees are ideally situated on the southern slopes of the Sannatal Valley above Landeck, in the Tyrolean mountain village of Grins, at approximately 1,050 m above sea level. The award for Grins – Pians – Stanz as a connoisseur’s region for damson growing is recognition of the perfect climate in this region for fruit. The production of fruit brandies has a long tradition here. In recent years, increased attention has also been paid to improving the quality of the brandies.

At the Bernhard Leitner company, the then typical local ‘farmer schnapps’ has also always been distilled. Since 1998, small batches of fine brandies have been produced with an 80-litre column distillery from several local fruit varieties. From the onset it has been the aim of this small-scale amateur distiller (fruit-growing and fruit-processing are his side businesses) to match himself with the biggest names on the distilling scene. Continual further training and quality intensification were rewarded – since then, Mr Leitner has continued his streak of success.

Small yet refined, his product range is impressive with its excellent quality which always measures up to that of the famous professional distillers. Apples, pears and damsons, complemented with berries and wild fruits, dominate in Leitner’s range of approximately 20 brandies. The ingredients come from Tyrol, from his own small orchard and some individual fruit trees. Two months of storage follow the distillation; after this, the distillates are reduced to a palatable alcoholic content. Bottling takes place at the earliest after one to two years of storage.

The World Class Distillery 2022 OBB (Distillery of the Year – Bronze 2022) was awarded double gold for Rowanberry and Blackberry (World Spirits Award 2022), gold for Red Williams Pear and Spänling (plum), as well as silver for Raspberry.