The “Who’s Who” of the world’s best spirits!

The spirits event of 2012 casts its glow: 70 producers of fine spirits from 30 countries have entered their products for the World Spirits Award. Ranking the spirits is similar to sorting diamonds. The “World Spirits” event at the largest trade fair for the catering trade in the Alpine-Adriatic Region from March 11th to 14th, is a paradise for spirit lovers and a must for the spirits and the catering industries. More than 500 spirited and fashionable distillates, liqueurs, whiskies, rums and spirits – from Australia to Europe and USA – will be presented, mostly from the producers themselves. (Exhibitors 2012)

A statement by Hubertus Vallendar, a winner at the "World Spirits Award 2011" who has been awarded the title of "Distillery of the Year" on three occasions.

"Shortly before the deadline for applications for the WSA 2012, I took another look at our sales for 2011 to date. We have recorded significant growth as compared with the last year, with a double-digit growth rate. This is certainly impressive and this trend looks set to continue. I know that you wish to achieve comprehensive communication via the WSA. But these figures also show something else: if you know how to market yourself, the WSA can be a very successful springboard!"
"One thing is clear to us: we will struggle to achieve or top our 2011 results at the WSA 2012. Nevertheless, our products are being represented in three categories. If we have done our homework well enough, the WSA jury will suitably reward our efforts!"

The culture of distilled spirits has materially improved over the last 20 years due to many measures taken, but can still not be compared to the improvement in the image of wine. National and international wine events and judgings, educational efforts by institutions and associations and other “spiritual” accents have caused distilleries to produce more and more products of a superior quality, which caused gourmets to develop and practice a more sophisticated taste for their products, aided through the efforts set by the and in the cult-sites of spirits in all their many facets – in gastronomy, hotels and the trade. 

Within the World Spirits Academy an intensive training in spices, herbs, fragrances and aromas is brand new. Wolfram Ortner will lead interested people into an astonishing world of aromas, intending to sharpen their senses so as to enable them to differentiate fragrances, and impress and recognise individual aromas through special exercises.

The interactivity of the olfactory cells with the identification in the brain, the olfactory cognition, is ‚revitalised’ and sensitised. Different training methods or devices respectively give you access to exciting experiences: