Lukas Werle had drawn the short straw. Eleven competitors — bartenders from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria — faced off against each other last Monday in Berlin in an exciting contest. These eleven finalists had already been selected from over 150 applicants in the preliminary round for the grand finale. Lukas, from the Viennese bar "Die Parfümerie" drew the black card and went last into the ring. With his drink 'Hazy Image' — featuring, among other things, our Whisky vom Kickingerfeld— he then worked his way up from the back of the field and even left seasoned bar legend Charles Schuhmannspeechless.
But let's start from the beginning. Berlin is home to the headquarters of mixology, the leading bar and spirits magazine. For 7 years, the team behind mixology has been hosting the "Made in GSA" Award for innovative drinks. Bartenders from Germany (G), Switzerland (S) and Austria (A) create cocktails and present themselves, the products they work with, and of course the drink itself at the competition.
'Hazy Image' polishes up the image
Lukas Werle is one of the two Austrians who travelled to Berlin to win over the jury. His drink is called 'Hazy Image' – a spicy, down-to-earth cocktail with a subtle sweetness. The main ingredients: our whisky (Kickinger Feld, Brauweizen Hermann, Mostello cask, vintage 2015) forms the solid foundation. Stirred into it (not shaken) are an Austrian demeter vermouth from Burgenland (Wermutlich) and a dark chocolate liqueur from the Mozart distillery. It was right there – at the chocolate – that Charles Schuhmann's ears pricked up. A self-confessed fan of chocolate notes, he wanted to know how Lukas had managed to weave them so seamlessly into the drink. And he had done a brilliant job of it. The chocolate blends harmoniously with the roasty tones of the whisky, and as the finishing touch, the Hazy Image is garnished with a cherry chilli pepper from the house of Staud's – making it a feast for the eyes as well. In the end, Lukas Werle took home the special "Whisky" category with his recipe.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Lukas and would like to thank him for choosing our whisky for his wonderful cocktail. The success goes to show that only outstanding base products lead to outstanding drinks – and that our distillates have well and truly arrived in the world of bartenders.
