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Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production location in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, the family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with targeted know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all their heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand, as ‘evergreens’ are currently enjoying a renaissance and have reclaimed a place in the restaurant and bar scene. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with Wood Stork Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for the Master Class Distillery 2024 for Zünftler Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Best Moments Sahnelikör Vanillekipferl (vanilla cream liqueur), Best Moments Sahnelikör weiße Schokolade mit Tonkabohne (white chocolate with tonka bean cream liqueur), Sahnelikör Dominostein (cream liqueur), Selection Sahnelikör gebrannte Mandel (roasted almonds cream liqueur), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur and Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, silver for Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (forest raspberry spirit), Sahnelikör Vanillekipferl (vanilla cream liqueur), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit) and Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), and bronze for Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy) and Deluxe Pistazien Sahnelikör (pistachio cream liqueur).

Hofbrennerei Oberkorb: Pure brandies exclusively

Andreas Franzl’s small farm distillery is located between Munich and Mühldorf near Dorfen. He picks wild fruits and the best fruit from the region’s meadow orchards with trees of over 100 years of age to create the basis for highly aromatic fruit brandies with a terroir character. Only pure brandies emerge from the farm distillery. They are of incomparable elegance and owe their depth and harmony to over 20 years of maturation in some cases. Flagship products include old varieties of apple and pear, European wild plum and quince, complemented by brandies made from extremely rare fruits such as danewort, guelder rose or red elderberry. The brandies are long established in the top restaurants of Bavaria and beyond.

Andreas Franzl, Master of World Spirits and brandy sommelier h.c., can draw on the tradition of a wonderful farm with over 400 years of history. He has shown courage, openness and foresight regarding the status and value of pure fruit brandies in the spirits industry. More than 800 distillers from all over Europe have now completed his distilling and sensory courses. He is an advisory board member and lecturer for sensory analysis at the Genussakademie Bayern in Kulmbach, and is heavily involved in the conception and implementation of the fine brandy sommelier qualification. With his son Georg, a budding Master of World Spirits, the next generation is already on board to lead the distillery into the future with its famed consistency of quality.

The World Class Distillery 2024 (DoY Gold & Award) received double gold for Forest Elderberry, gold for Blackcurrant and Danewort Sambucus Ebulus, and silver for Cherry Brandy and Red Vineyard Peach/German Blood Peach.

DiGusti: Quality products from Italy to the Netherlands

Foods and beverages from Italy are the focus at DiGusti, founded in 2010 by Ingmar Berkhout. The driving force from the beginning was his great passion for food. He began with 20 products and today DiGusti is one of the largest Italian products wholesalers in the Netherlands, with more than 200 products from small manufacturers in Italy.

The company helps small farmers to sell products from their home country abroad. Quality and purity are very important when it comes to determining the range of products. The online shop is a real A to Z of Italian delicacies – from antipasti and balsamic vinegar to olive oil and truffles to ‘zoete lekkernijen’ for those with a sweet tooth. They all have a tale to tell about how Italian food has traditionally been enjoyed.

The recipes for the spirits are developed by DiGusti along with the producers. For the Limoncello, Feliciano exclusively processes big lemons in a little town on the Sorrento coast, while the Limoncioccolat by Marco is produced in a village in the mountains on the Amalfi coast.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Limoncioccolat, Limoncello and Mandarinello.