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Tradition Mexico – Tequila without compromises

The friends behind Padre azul, the new tequila in the premium segment, stand united on one matter: their passion for Mexico. “We appreciate high quality tequila, and with Padre azul we are bringing an exclusive product to Europe. We searched for the perfect distillery for a long time. At Tres Mujeres in Jalisco in the highlands of Mexico we found what we were looking for.” 100% Mexico – 100% handcraft – 100% agave.

These requirements and quality criteria apply to the whole production process, which is why each bottle also wears the sought-after quality seal from the Mexican authorities, “Consejo Regulador del Tequila” (CRT). There were no compromises when it came to the design of the bottles: they are made by hand and adorned with a 270g skull which represents the skull culture of Mexico.

Padre azul is available in three grades of maturity, depending on the length of storage. The Añejo usually spends eighteen months in French oak barrels to achieve a mature, full-bodied taste. The Reposado needs at least eight months in barrels for its subtle vanilla tone. The Blanco is a clear tequila which is bottled straight after distillation – it is soft and mild in taste. None of the three need salt or lemon – you can enjoy them neat. True to the motto: no compromises.

At the World Spirits Award, the trio was very successful: there was double gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul anejo, gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul reposado, and silver for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul blanco.

Georg Hemmeter – XUXU, Escorial, SILLA EL FUERTE

Georg Hemmeter – strawberry drinks with exceptional flavour guaranteed

The name Georg Hemmeter – a company of the Underberg Group – stands for innovative spirits, in particular the XUXU range. The fresh and fruity strawberry drink contains 66 percent fruit plus crystal-clear vodka, rounded off with a dash of lime. The harmony between the sweetness of the fruit and just 15% alcohol by volume is created using a special production method. XUXU Ten, the little luxury in a 250 ml aluminium bottle with only 10% alcohol by volume, is dressed to party – it is still relatively new to the market, yet is already at home in all the world’s top party venues.
XUXU can be served in so many different ways: chilled, neat, on crushed ice, as a dessert topping, with sparkling wine or with other mixers – XUXU tastes heavenly and offers fresh and fruity pleasure. Welcome to Berrydise!

Initially the absolute top star in Greece, XUXU is now also number 1 in Russia, and extremely popular in Turkey and Italy too.


XUXU Strawberry & Vodka Drink and XUXU Ten won Gold at the World Spirits Award 2014.

Dons of Gin: Redevelopment of a classic

Two friends tell the story of how they arrived at their own gin: “We were in Paris, the city of love. Our wives had gone out and we were minding the children. When they were fast asleep, we pursued our favourite hobby: sampling gins, on this occasion local French ones. It was then that we decided to create our own London Dry Gin, without an overtone but with the rarely used Schinus berries, the fruit of the Brazilian pepper tree. This crackpot idea resulted in our first gin and many samplings and tastings followed with friends in order to determine where to go with the taste. With our master distiller, we then went into detail and reduced the botanicals – including ginger, lime and lemon zest – to show that sometimes less complexity is required, just like in life. The result is a gin with 18 botanicals that stimulates our senses and releases new nuances with every sip.”

The Dons of Gin want to appeal to all those who value a relaxed atmosphere with their loved ones, who like to slow down and enjoy carefree time together. Of course, a good gin is part of this, whether pure or with an Indian-style tonic water. The two of them know a lot about this and have put together quite a little ‘library’ – from the history of gin and different types to cocktails and food pairing.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Dons of Gin.

Cologne Spirits: Cheers from Cologne!

The team at Gin de Cologne is actually a traditional promotion agency. They are all from Cologne and true gin enthusiasts. Concepts are developed for parties and festivals, in clubs and at points of sale. Managing Direc-tor Abbass Khatami had the idea of producing a gin in 2017. Whatever he does, he does with passion – and the rest is a story of success. Following intensive preparation and in coordination with experienced distillers, in November 2017 the first product was launched: Gin de Cologne. Made in Cologne, but not just for the people of Cologne, as this delicious treat was to be distributed around the world.

For 20 years, the agency has also represented big brand names in the spirit world (Captain Morgan, Baileys, Aperol, Ouzo 12, etc.), and so the team know how to market a product effectively and to the right target group. By a variety of means, including tastings at trade fairs, an impressive level of recognition has been reached and Gin de Cologne has been established as a new brand. It can also be seen on large billboards as the agency won the 18/1 Award 2018 with the slogan ‘Alle guten Dinge sind dry’ (‘All good things are dry’).

Aside from good marketing and a good story, the product also has to be right. In this case the concept is to appeal to everybody. Twelve botanicals – including lime, lemon and orange peel, hibiscus, lavender and, of course, juniper – provide the London Dry Gin with fine nuances which tickle the taste buds of gin rookies and connoisseurs alike.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Gin de Cologne.