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Clint Wilfred & Sons – Good taste for rapidly expanding markets

Clint Wilfred & Sons Ltd brings a carefully selected portfolio of drinks to the Gulf region and Southeast Asia. The young company targets fast-moving products in the HORECA – Hotel/Restaurant/Café and Hotel/Restaurant/Catering market segment. It is run by Clint Wilfred, whose family has been in the spirit production and distribution business for over four decades.

One main focus of business activities lies in the United Arab Emirates. To offer new products on this rapidly growing market is a great challenge, as the demand for premium and niche products is constantly increasing and customers’ wishes are very diverse. The range, therefore, also includes non-alcoholic and carbonated soft drinks, still and sparkling water, ready-to-drink teas, energy sport drinks and other New Age drinks. There is also a strong focus on a wide selection of packaging sizes and formats.

One special product in the spirits product category is Count Cristo Blended Scotch Whisky, a premium blend with a high malt content from the Scottish Speyside region and with some lowland malt for added depth and character.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Count Cristo Blended Scotch Whisky.

LA SU Gin: Exotic holiday feeling in a glass

Alexander Kayser and Christopher Schuh are true gin lovers and founders of the brand LA SU Gin – a registered brand of Expo Outline Messebau und Event GmbH in Altenstadt, with Alexander Kayser as the managing partner.

After exploring many trains of thought, it was clear to both of them that it had to be exotic. LA SU Gin is a premium handcrafted gin with a hint of fruity mango. Distilled in small batches, traditionally and without additives, it is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Europe. The mango gives it a special freshness and balances the tart notes of the spices perfectly. Next to the mango, LA SU evokes a sense of travel. Enjoy a holiday feeling and discover new taste sensations. The elaborate bottle design reflects a love of detail and certainly leaves an impression.

At the World Spirits Award, bronze was achieved by LA SU *MGO* Natural Mango.

Euelsberger Brennerei: Production in the Eifel region

Owner and master distiller Stephan Thomé runs the 2017 start-up in Dingdorf. He converted the old calf shed on his parents’ farm into a distillery. The name of the business comes from the Euelsberg mountainside, where the farm has a traditional orchard with tall trees growing apples, pears, damsons, Mirabelle plums, greengage plums and walnuts. In 2023, the distillery was extended by a unique GIN SCHOOL containing over 300 botanicals.

They produce fruit brandies, spirits, liqueurs and different categories of gin. In the development phase the distiller played around with over 120 herbs in his aroma lab. From the shortlist of twelve varieties, three were chosen for the first batch. In 2020, they added Gin #4 EIFEL with botanicals from the immediate vicinity. In 2022, Gin #5 SUMMER with mandarin, lemon and pepper took up the inspiration of Gin #1 PEPPER & LEMON, and rounded it off with cocoa bean and coriander. Each gin has its own individual note, from spicy and fresh to floral and oriental. In 2023, the first SLOE GIN was created. The basis is Gin #4 EIFEL, in which handpicked sloes are soaked and macerated for at least six months.

The botanicals from their own fields and from around the world are carefully selected and are of the same highest quality as those used in top restaurants and in homeopathy. Many ingredients are harvested by hand on organic farms. Every stage is carried out by hand as well. After the careful filtering and filling process, the gin is matured over months in steel barrels.

At the World Spirits Award, Gold was awarded to Euelsberger #2 Fifteen Flowers, and Silver to Euelsberger #4 Eifel.

Gurktaler: The mild Alpenkräuter and the fruity Alpen-Aperitif

Every year on 15th August, the herbs for Gurktaler Alpenkräuter are blessed in Gurk Cathedral. The herbs are grown in the Gurk Valley and in the cathedral garden, cut by hand from around mid-June and brought to the cathedral cloisters where they are checked for cleanliness, freshness and varietal purity. To make the liqueur, the selected herbs are soaked in alcohol for a few days in an exact ratio according to a secret recipe. During maceration, the ingredients and aromatic substances are leached out, the extract is blended in a strictly controlled ratio, and stored to mature. The branded product underlines the regional connection by supporting various local projects. Hiking trails have been developed in the Carinthian holiday region to enable guests to enjoy the unique landscape. In the ‘Gurk Valley herbal paradise’ you will also find inns and hostels that emphasise the theme.

Rossbacher is a piece of Austrian liqueur history. In 1897, Adolf Wunderlich founded a liqueur distillery in the 7th district of Vienna and worked on incorporating natural flavours into the products. The liqueur is made from herbs, roots and berries without any artificial additives. The secret lies in the preparation as well as in the ingredients; the intense flavour is achieved through a combination of maceration, percolation and distillation. The original recipe, still in strong demand today, provides precise instructions on which herbs to use and how to treat them. Invigorating herbal notes combine with citrus tones and a subtle sweetness to create a wholesome pleasure.

Gurktaler(Gurktaler Alpen Aperitif, Gurktaler DER MILDE Alpenkräuter) and Rossbacher won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2025.