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Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has two top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery.

The Blackwater Distillery has been an Aldi partner since 2016 and developed the private label Boyle’s Gin exclusively for the Irish and British retail market. The product volume of the Blackwater Distillery for Aldi has risen strongly in recent years, whereby 140,800 bottles of the gin series were sold in 2018. The successful gin brand is manufactured in Blackwater Valley, West Waterford, with selected imported ingredients as well as regional apples, blackcurrants and elderflower. CEO Peter Mulryan – former TV producer and author of the book “The Whiskeys of Ireland” – explains, “The partnership with Aldi has helped us to increase turnover enormously, and also to have the security to invest and expand. This includes on-site filling facilities and a visitor centre.”

Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery got its name from the region in County Cork where the malted barley comes from and is only manufactured in small batches. The business was founded in 2003 by childhood friends who started out with only two small stills they had bought in Switzerland. Now the largest distillery in the country, it currently employs over 80 employees and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Ardfallen Whiskey and Boyle’s Irish Gin.

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 ‘functional 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.

Waldemar Behn – Unique spirits brands

The slogan “Kennen Sie den? Der ist von BEHN!” (Do you know this one? It’s from BEHN) is what made this family company from Eckernförde famous. In 1892, Waldemar Behn, son of a Hamburg beer brewer, established a retail store for beverages in Schleswig-Holstein. He initially supplied beer to workers building the Kaiser-Wilhelm Canal, the present-day Kiel Canal. The product range was later extended to include non-alcoholic drinks and spirits of his own production for the catering trade. In 1906, Waldemar Behn bought the Eckernförder Dampfbierbrauerei brewery so that this Baltic resort of Eckernförde became the company headquarters, which it still is today.

After the Second World War, as well as running a specialised beverage wholesale trade, the company concentrated on producing branded items in the spirits sector, including typical products of the region, such as Germany’s most popular anise spirit ‘Küstennebel’, ‘Fischergeist’ and ‘Original Friesengeist’.

Starting from the Northern Germany region, the Behn family company developed into a national and international provider with the brand ‘Kleiner Feigling’. With the world’s highest awarded cream liqueur ‘Dooley's Original Toffee Liqueur’ the company finally achieved its international breakthrough that was perfected with the purchase of the brand ‘DANZKA Vodka’ in 2013. Today, Behn’s range of products consists of award-winning spirit brands that are available almost everywhere in the world.

Behn was also able to convince the jury at the World Spirits Award: there was double gold for Dooley’s Egg Cream Liqueur, and gold for Dooley’s Liquorice Cream Liqueur.

Wyborowa – The vodka of a master

“The Wyborowa product portfolio has its roots in decades of tradition and extensive know-how,” says Tadeusz Rusek, Senior Brand Manager at Wyborowa Pernod Ricard. The Pernod Ricard Group has operated in Poland since the mid-1990s and, in 2001, took on the Wyborowa brand. The company specialises in the dynamic development of international brands in the premium sector and strengthening competitiveness in the home vodka sector in Poland. “We decided to show consumers what the traditional means of production are, which is why we introduced our Master Distiller, Lukasz Karmowski. The name of the vodka, Wyborowa od Mistrza, refers to his creation, and the picture on the label is an expression of our recognition and respect for him,” Rusek adds.

The Master Distiller says: “I am very grateful to my father for showing me how to carry on the family tradition. I believe that distillation was my calling, and I am so happy that the cooperation with Wyborowa Pernod Ricard means that this special vodka will soon be available all across the country. I value all the initiatives that contribute to maintaining the culture of traditional distillation and that focus on the people themselves who play a key role in this.” This vodka is only produced in one distillery using locally grown rye. The specially designed, frosted glass bottle and the label with the historical sketch of the distillery and the picture of the master distiller underline the uniqueness of the content.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Wyborowa od Mistrza.