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Pfalzdrusel Gin: Let a wonderful friendship beGIN

The friends Philipp, Paul and Tobias set themselves the goal of creating a gin that is 100% local to the Palatinate region. It conveys a zest for life and is fun: interesting and expressive, but simple and uncomplicated. It therefore had to be an organic gin. Spruce needles, lavender, rosemary and nettles represent the oasis of wellbeing of the Palatinate Forest. Blueberries, orange, lemon and bitter orange ensure freshness and lightness. Juniper brings the typical character into the glass. “That is the Palatinate region with all its facets and tastes, characterised by our way of life, culture and love of our homeland.”

The mascot of Pfalzdrusel Gin is the fairy-tale creature Dallas. One sunny Saturday, a little otter from Ottersheim ran through the forest to Bellheim. On the way it met a dog. The two of them hit it off and made their way to Kleinfischlingen, where the dog knew a funny fish. They had great fun and did not notice an old witch sneaking up, who wanted to put an end to the racket the three were making. She uttered a magic spell: three are now one! There was thunder and lightning, fog rose. When it receded, the witch had disappeared. There was also no trace of the dog, otter or fish. Instead, there lay a little animal with an otter’s head, a fish’s tail and dog’s legs. At the same time, the three friends Philipp, Tobias and Paul were on a merry wine tour when they discovered the little animal. They took it home, gave it the name Dallas and called the new species ‘Pfalzdrusel’.

Pfalzdrusel Gin achieved gold at the World Spirits Award.

Prenzel - An enjoyable and ingenious diversity

In 1989, Robert Wuest, from a family of distillers in Alsace, visited Hugh and Chris Steadman at their cherry orchard on the edge of the city of Blenheim - and came up with a brilliant idea. Soon after, the first fruit distillery in New Zealand was founded: The Alsace New Zealand Distilling Company. There is no long-standing tradition of fruit brandies here and as such there was no market for the products, despite the fantastic cultivation conditions. The company focuses on the use of alternative products for the bakery and food industry and as such, a golden pretzel was chosen as the logo, the emblem displayed by every bakery in Alsace. "Pretzel" then became "Prenzel" with the "n" standing for New Zealand.

The product range has been consistently extended to include foodstuffs such as vinaigrette, mustard, spicy sauces, vinegar and food oils. At present, only 40% of the company's sales come from alcoholic drinks, of which 10% is from pure distillates including small quantities of traditional fruit brandies, more than 20 liqueurs and brandy, gin and vodka.

The company's sales strategy is unconventional: there are no classic advertisements and instead, sales are based on word-of-mouth in the form of presentations at private households. Over the years, a network of franchise companies has developed which will be extended to the European network in future. Hidden costs play a big part in the introduction of new products: as such, consumers are invited to compare the Prenzel products with those of the market leaders. Only if 80% of them prefer the Prenzel products are the recipes pushed ahead and finalised.

The company was awarded a silver at the World-Spirits Award for its liqueur based on the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety.

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.

Ehrenwert GmbH: One recipe – two families

One recipe – two families. Each family has its own carefully guarded secret recipe, and with the Lücke family this remained in the hands of grandfather Heinz and later his son Dieter for many decades. Long enough, thought sons Thomas and Christian. In any case, it is the ‘Felsenfeuer’ herb liqueur that once made the Lücke Distillery one of the most important in Münsterland. After the war they continued the success story which first began in the 18th century, with this herb liqueur, using the recipe that Heinz Lücke worked out. In the 1950s everyone was talking about it, but in the 1960s the era of the distillery and the herb liqueur ended. But not for good – 60 years later it celebrated its resurrection with the ‘Freudenfeuer’.

Whilst searching for a distillery, Thomas and Christian kept to family tradition, as their grandmother was a Sasse, and the Sasses’ fine distillery in Schöppingen is still well known today. Following a traditional recipe from 1947 the new liqueur is distilled in small batches and is bottled by hand after a ten-day rest period. Ready to enjoy: neat and ice cold like in the time of our grandfathers, or smoother, on ice with lightly pressed orange zest, or as a basis for a long drink with tonic water or ginger ale. To old times and new friends!

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Freudenfeuer.