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Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the 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. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. 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. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).

Hijos de Pablo Esparza: Regional specialities from Navarra

This family business in the north of Spain is located just 80 kilometres from the French border. Present in the market for over 145 years, the business is now run by the fifth generation. Some of the 27 employees have been working with the family for over 40 years. The oldest product is Anís Las Cadenas, which already won awards in Paris in 1909.

As Spanish spirits are not as well-known as whisky, vodka, rum or tequila, customers are usually found in countries with Spanish inhabitants or descendants of Spanish immigrants. As a small business with no international branches, the contact with business partners is paramount, and they need to be well-supplied with information on the products.

One particular speciality of the region is Pacharán, an aniseed and sloe liqueur, which has been popular in Navarra since the Middle Ages. The name is derived from Basaran, a Basque word for sloe. In the 1950s it became more well-known with the aid of commercial production and marketing. Originally, wild sloes were used, but these days they are grown on plantations to meet the increasing demand. As a means of dealing with inferior imitations, a supervisory board for production was set up in 1988, which also awards the seal of quality and origin Denominación de Origen del Pacharán.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Licor de Endrinas Basarana 20, silver for Pacharán Basarana Etiqueta Negra and Anís Las Cadenas, and bronze for Licor de Hierbas Las Cadenas.

Donner-Peltier Distillers – A great team from Louisiana

In 2011, Tom and Beth Donner and Henry and Jennifer Peltier opened their Donner-Peltier Distillery in the middle of a sugarcane field in Thibodaux, Louisiana, with the aim of producing the best quality from the local raw materials of sugar and rice. A wide range of knowledge and experience from chemistry, combined with a burning passion for fine spirits, made up the basis for great team work, supported by Tyson Frizzell and Brad Blackwell, who are responsible for the production.

The high quality DPD product range comprises Oryza Vodka (distilled 17 times) and Oryza Gin (from eleven plants and a citrus touch of the South), both based on 100% authentic Louisiana long grain rice. The latest product is the Whiskey La 1, the first whiskey matured in Louisiana after Prohibition. Corn provides the body, rye the flavour, barley the balance and rice the sweetness. The Rougaroux rum range takes its name from the mythical creature ‘Roo ga roo’ that is said to roam the sugarcane fields at full moon and pass sentence on evil spirits – its curse lasts 101 days. If you lay 13 pennies in front of the door, you will be safe from ‘Roo ga roo’. Since it can only count to 12, it tries again and again until sunrise, then it has to get back to its hole … The Rougaroux 13 Pennies Rum keeps the legend alive, and it is refined with roasted pecans, vanilla pods from Madagascar and sugarcane molasses from the region. The Rougaroux Full Moon Dark Rum ages in American oak, and the clear Rougaroux Sugarshine, made from molasses and sugarcane, rounds off the fiery trio.

Over recent years the achievements of this small Louisiana dream team have gained worldwide recognition and also earned well-deserved attention at the World Spirits Award, with silver for the Full Moon Dark Rum, Sugarshine, Oryza Vodka, Oryza Gin and American Whiskey.