The ProWein Special Show “same but different” with Record Registration Numbers: Over 70 Exhibitors present Craft Spirits, Craft Beer & Cider
Fizzz Lounge: Hot Spot for the Bartending Scene
For the first time now the Craft Spirits, Craft Beer & Cider theme is a key focus at the “same but different” special show at ProWein – and registration numbers are exceeding expectations. Over 70 exhibitors from 15 countries are featured in their own hall, Hall 7.0, presenting handpicked beers, spirits and cider. “These creative drinks are playing an ever greater role especially on the urban bar scene, at trendy eateries and at wine merchants and they are opening up ever new customer bases – not just in Germany but also internationally,” explains Marius Berlemann, Global Head of Wine & Spirits and Director at ProWein. “It was an obvious move to pick up on this topic at ProWein and give it a large stage. But we had not reckoned on such a good response,” delights Marius Berlemann. Suppliers of Craft Spirits, Beer and Cider will be coming here from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy – but also from the New World like Australia, Chile, Peru or South Africa.
Occupying the largest area with some 40 exhibitors is the topic of Craft Spirits. These include renowned players like “Revolte Rum” circling around master distiller Felix Georg Kaltenthaler or “Siegfried Rheinland Dry Gin” with its line-up of Craft Gin. Peru is represented – with the Peruvian national drink pisco. Handpicked whiskeys not only come from Scotland or Ireland: Sweden – until now a blank page on the whiskey scene – has been making a growing name for itself since 1999. For instance, in Sweden’s Gävle where the Mackmyra Distillery has brought out its “Motörhead Whisky”, a special, limited-edition single malt to mark the 40thanniversary of the British rock band.
A small but sophisticated range of some 10 cider exhibitors also awaits ProWein visitors in Hall 7.0. Setting the tone here is France with its sparkling dry compositions – followed by Ireland, Australia and Germany.
Craft Beer: Hop Creations for Gourmets
Professionals also wishing to gather information on the Craft Beer theme are also excellently catered for at the “same but different” special show. Some 20 exhibitors from seven countries will be presenting their hop creations here. A young generation of brewers are taking entirely new approaches to yeast, malt and hop varieties; going through the archives they are rediscovering historic and regional beer styles and brewing them with a new twist. Good addresses at ProWein are, for instance, “Craftwerk” (Hall 7.0, Stand D 35), a division of Bitburger Brauerei, and the Hamburg craft brewery “von Freude” (literally Of Joy, Hall 7.0, D 19). With their gourmet beers brewers have even already made a name for themselves in the purportedly purist wine nations of Italy and France – for instance with “Birra Antoniada” (Interbrau; Hall 7.0, Stand D 24), “Meteor” (Brasserie Meteor; Hall 7.0, Stand D 28) and “Brasserie Alaryk” (Hall 7.0, Stand D 39). With all this variety the fizzz-Lounge organised by the wine publishing house Meininger Verlag (Hall 7.0, Stand C 43) takes the perfect approach: in guided tastings beer sommeliers Dirk Omlor and Benjamin Brouër present the exciting world of Craft Beer – from aperitif beers and draught beers through to port, stout, ale and Belgian beers.
Renowned Bartenders present their Hygge Creations
The fizzz-Lounge has another real highlight in store for fans of the bar scene: who hasn’t felt that hygge feeling? A house on the lake, a picnic in the country, an evening in front of the fire – or to sum it up: that Scandinavian sense of warmth, well-being and value. Four renowned trendsetters in the field of high-proof drinks will be presenting their exclusive hygge creations in Düsseldorf. Arnd Henning Heißen, the master of aromas, is one of the most experienced bar managers in the German restaurant trade running the two bar institutions “The Fragrances” and “The Curtain Club” at Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton. Stephan Hinz, seen as a visionary in German bar culture, is the owner of the Cologne bar “Little Link” and has already published several award-winning books. Marian Krause is one of the most acclaimed bartenders in the country who already proved his skill at the start of his career at the most important cocktail competitions as one of the best fancy bartenders in Germany. One of Germany’s best female bartenders is Marie Rausch. This self-appointed ‘drinks chef’ runs the Münster bar restaurant “Rotkehlchen” making her mark there as a pioneer of the food-pairing trend and as a masterful creator of signature drinks. She has also already made a name for herself at international competitions.
