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Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.

London Distillers: Environmentally friendly production in East Africa

London Distillers has 125 years of experience in manufacturing spirits and today is undisputedly the most modern distillery in East Africa, based in Nairobi. Its founding and strong growth are in accordance with the increasing demand for high-quality spirits. The production facilities span 300 hectares of land at the Athi River, whereby large areas are dedicated to eco-friendly wastewater treatment through a purification plant.

Since its foundation, the company has felt obliged to act with social responsibility. This is supported by a more labour-intensive approach rather than machine-operated, in order to promote employment at the sites. A well-qualified workforce is employed at eight regional branches (Nairobi, Machakos, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nanyuki, Kisumu, Nakuru and Thika). Importance is also accorded to efficient, timely delivery, in order to strengthen the distribution network and widen the selection. From its modest beginnings in 1985, there has been remarkable growth through to today. Over 25 brands comprise a wide selection of whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, rum, as well as the flagship brands Safari Cane and Old Monk Rum.

In line with the responsibility of selling high-quality products, they concentrate on workmanship, a holistic corporate culture and eco-friendly processes. The aim is to become the market leader in Central and East Africa, to grow as an organisation and to be a preferred employer, because people are the most valuable asset.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Top Secret, White Pearl and Safari Rare Whisky, and silver to Kenya King, General Meakins and Napoleon Gold Brandy.

Gyulai Pálinka – A manufactory on historic soil

The first distillery was founded in 1731 in the city of Gyula: Baron Johannes Georg Harruckern of Upper Austria received the area as a gift from the Kaiser following his military career. The Baron brought German settlers to the area and promoted agriculture, trade and industry. Based on this long-standing tradition and supported by the latest technologies, the Gyulaer Palinka Manufaktúra has been developing here since 2008: the first series of distillates bears the name of Baron Harruckern and the design skilfully combines the past and future.

The master distillers aim to produce top quality in manageable quantities. The raw materials are top-quality fruits which are selected and washed by hand, ranging from traditional varieties to woodland and wild fruits. The importance of fruit brandy in the region is emphasised by the large spring festival with its Hungarian state-wide Pálinka competition.

The town of Gyula in the country of Békés at the gateway to Transylvania has plenty on offer for tourists, including its historical atmosphere with its brick castle and one of the most beautiful thermal baths in the region. Around a million visitors come to these healing springs each year and some of them also sample the soothing effects of a genuine Pálinka!

The products also impressed at the World-Spirits Award: gold and the title of “Best in Category” for the blackberry, gold for the quince and seven silver medals for various fruit brandies. This resulted in a ranking of 3rd place overall in the fruit brandy category as a “Distillery of the Year” (bronze) and classification as a “World-Class Distillery”.