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Prevelon: Premium vodka by order of the Kremlin

Kremlin Premium Vodka was created as the official drink for all diplomatic receptions and banquets at the Kremlin and was intended as the hallmark of high-ranking events. The decision in favour of the most traditional Russian drink was unanimous. It was only produced on special order and in limited amounts. The first large batch of this ‘protocol’ vodka was ordered in February 1945 for the Yalta Conference. Kremlin Award Grand Premium came on the market in 2011 and is exported to 38 countries, and in many of them it holds the top position in the ultra-premium vodka category. Since 2016, the product range has included Kremlin Award Classic, which enjoys great popularity amongst all partners.

Two products have been added to the product range. Kremlin Award Organic is based on alcohol that is produced from the highest quality organic wheat, and on natural drinking water. The vodka passes through a multi-stage purification through pure birchwood charcoal. The alcohol for Kremlin Award Vintage is made from organic grains from the same harvest. The wheat grains are stored in a grain silo until they reach their physiological maturity in order to get a high-quality base product. The ‘luxury alcohol’ is then mixed with natural drinking water and, after purification, is granted a resting period. Production is limited to the year stated on the label.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Kremlin Award Organic and Kremlin Award Vintage.

Modus-Vivendi -Small fruits with a big history

There are plenty of stories surrounding the history of damassine plum - small, violet fruits in the plum family. The botanical name of 'prunus damascena' is indicative of the probable origins of the fruit: Damascus in Syria. The Roman gourmet and most famous author of cook books in Antiquity, Marcus Gavius Apicius, praised the fruit in one recipe as a delicious accompaniment to lamb. It then found its way to Europe through the Duke of Anjou who discovered the fruits in around 1220 during a crusade to Jerusalem. During the Middle Ages, the trees grew predominantly in the gardens of the royal houses and parishes.

At the end of the 16th century, planting began on the South banks of Lake Biel in Switzerland and the Jura mountains seemed particularly suited to plum varieties. Harvesting damassine plums is very time-consuming and therefore they rarely come to market for fresh consumption. And their use in fine brandy has so far also only been of local significance. As they say in the Jura region: "A good meal without a glass of damassine brandy is like a day without sunshine".

The young Modus-Vivendi company in Biel has brought a new name and exclusive equipment to this 'historic distillate' in order to increase the product recognisability. The raw materials are provided by Roger Grimm and Adrian Eberhard, who planted hundreds of damassine shrubs in an ideal south-facing location in Luescherz, on the South banks of Lake Biel, from 2003 to 2008. The owner of Grillette Domaine De Cressier, J. P. Mürset, also represents a partner who has been heavily involved with the cultivation of damassine plums in Le Landeron since the 1990s.

This speciality product from the Swiss lakes region was awarded a bronze medal at its première at the World-Spirits Award.

Fermentorium Distilling Co.: Creativity from Canada

It was the creative minds from Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. in Victoria that had the idea for Fermentorium. It is a place where spirits are created according to special recipes. The basic distillates for the gin are made in a traditional British copper pot still from the 1920s – endearingly called Old George – and refined in a modern distillery of German production. In British Columbia, herbs are gathered by hand and botanicals are cultivated, carefully selected for Stump Coastal Forest Gin, so that the gin reflects the origins of its ingredients – from the craggy coastline to the old forests.

Vancouver Island produces high-quality barley that is processed in Phillips Brewing’s own malt factories. Through the use of barley that is cultivated just 15 minutes away, local farmers are supported and emissions from malt transport are reduced. Ultimately, it is possible to control the quality of the end product better. There are only a handful of malthouses in North America and Phillips Brewing is proud to be the only Craft Brewer in Canada that malts its own barley. Small Talk Whisky continues the tradition of only using barley cultivated on Vancouver Island. Bourbon was originally stored in the barrels made of American and French oak, which were then filled at the distillery at the beginning of 2016.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Discovery Street Dry Citrus Gin and Stump Coastal Forest Gin, and bronze to Small Talk Whisky.