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Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

Aldi Ireland: Gin and whiskey in retail

Aldi Ireland has several top products in its spirit range: Boyle’s Gin from the Blackwater Distillery and Ardfallen Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery, in addition, Mo Chara Passionfruit & Mango Gin from the Old Carrick Mill.

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 bottling 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 staff and exports to around 70 countries.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for Ardfallen 10 Year Old Whiskey and Boyle’s Gin, and Silver for Boyle’s Sloe & Damson Gin and Ardfallen Whiskey.

LACASCARA: Premium aperitif made of the ‘cáscara’

This special product was created on the base of cáscara, grapefruit and raspberries. The Spanish name means ‘skin’, referring specifically to the skin of the red coffee berry. Centuries ago, cáscara was dried on coffee farms and drunk as tea; in modern coffee production, the pulp and skin remain unused – this could potentially create a mountain of around ten million tons of cáscara. It only gained approval as a novel food in 2022. Its use in this aperitif also has a social aspect, as coffee farms receive much-needed additional income.

Behind LACASCARA are Lisah Dietrich, who worked in marketing for many years, and Constantin Müller, owner of an advertising film agency and a camera rental company, and also a lecturer at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences. They source the highest quality cáscara from Colombia and Peru from farms that have left cooperatives to market their own coffee. During the season, the best ripe coffee berries are picked by hand in 4 harvests, before being sorted and dried in the sun for over 40 days. The liqueur is then produced by hand in a small distillery, without artificial additives. Caffeine is only present in small amounts; one glass contains only one to two percent of the caffeine contained in a litre of cola. The taste of cáscara is reminiscent of rosehip, pomegranate and spicy honey. Perfect as a spritz, with tonic water, neat, or on the rocks. With a balance of fruitiness and a slight bitter note, a new, natural taste experience has been created that also meets the needs of an entire generation for high quality, sustainability and naturalness.

LACASCARA Premium Aperitivo won silver at the World Spirits Award.

Hardenberg Distillery: Innovation from tradition

The Hardenberg Distillery in Nörten-Hardenberg, Lower Saxony, combines 325 years of tradition and the art of distilling with contemporary ideas and modern refinement technology. Exquisite spirits are produced here, which are given their character by the raw materials from their own farm and their processing directly on site.

The spirits are accompanied with the utmost care and experience from the cultivation of the grain to distillation and maturation in the barrel through to bottling – from the field to the glass. The Hardenberg Distillery produces fine, handmade spirits in various categories that offer pleasurable sensory and taste experiences. In addition to HARDENBERG Club Whiskey, HARDENBERG Gin and HARDENBERG Korn, these include the German single malt whiskey BEVERBACH, KINETIC Single Estate German Vodka and VON HALLERS GIN. The range also includes the gin alternative HARDENBERG Zero.Zero, an alcohol-free distillate.

Enthusiasts and professionals alike can see everything for themselves, because the Hardenberg Distillery is not just a production facility: you can also visit, experience and enjoy – with tours, workshops and tastings that appeal to all the senses.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for SCHWARTZHOG Kräuter Liqueur and Silver for HARDENBERG Club Triple Malt Whiskey.