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MBG International Premium Brands – Brands with added value

“We Love Liquids.” This slogan has accompanied MBG on its worldwide path of success since it was founded in 1993 under the name P.O.S. Marketing + Vertrieb GmbH: Strong brands have been established around the world in nearly 60 countries, with innovative own brands, renowned retail brands, great ideas and a lot of energy. With over 250 employees, the MBG Group currently generates over € 200 million and, every year, more than a million hectolitres are produced. The portfolio in Germany includes 12 own brands and 6 retail brands (from non-alcoholic drinks to low proof drinks to wines & spirits) for 90,000 customers.

“Our recipe for successful brands is the mixture of passion, conviction and knowledge of the market. If all goes well, names and products become new worlds which consumers love. Success is not always predictable, which means that courage is needed above all. The right moment has to be found and hard work put in, just like with a hit single: some are one hit wonders while others become classics.” Little can be added to this definition from Managing Director Andreas W. Herb. From the MBG Group headquarters in Paderborn, a great deal of expertise makes successful brands, tailored to the respective target group and the market segment. Many brands that are well known on shop shelves and in the gastronomy sector have played a role in the history of the company.

Participation in the World Spirits Award yielded gold for Dos Mas Nasty Nuts Shot.

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).

Pap és Pap – Family business with a burning passion

At the end of 2009, a dream came true for Szabolcs, Marcella and Gergely Pap – they opened their own family distillery in Etyek in the wine-growing region of the same name, some 30 km from Budapest. The small team of six manages one of the country’s most modern quality distilleries. The choice of the family coat-of-arms as the company logo symbolises the strong family ties. The production process is characterised by its regional roots and the distinctive flavour of the fruits, most of which they grow themselves. The product range comprises apple, elderberry, cherry, apricot, Williams pear, raspberry, sour cherry, peach, strawberry, blackberry, plum and grape. The products can be sampled following a tour of the plant in the new tasting cellar which holds up to 60 people.

The fresh fruits are delivered by the lorry load and are stored in the cellars where they are protected from the sunshine, rain, wind and dust before being processed just a few hours later. All of the production stages take place underground in rooms protected from temperature fluctuations, with the exception of the distilling. The fruits are washed and the cores, stems, stalks and leaves removed before being machine-chopped and pumped into an acid-proof agitator tank for the homogenisation process to begin. From this point onwards, they no longer come into contact with human hands. Following cooled fermentation in steel tanks, the substance is distilled in a technologically sophisticated plant. The fine distillate is stored in a tank for six months while special varieties are stored in wooden barrels made from various woods.

At the World Spirits Award, Pap was classified as a Master Class Distillery 2012. There was gold for the Apple Mutzu (2 x), Grape Irsai Olivér, Plum, Apricot (2 x) and Blackberry. Silver medals were awarded to the Apple Jona Gold, Grape Szürkebarát (2 x), Plum (2 x), Pear Williams Yellow (3 x), Strawberry and Black Elderberry (2 x). Bronze went to the Apple Jona Gold, Cherry Sour and Raspberry.