A spirits manufactory in Berlingen in the Vulkaneifel, founded in 2014 by Sandra Wimmeler and Denis Lönnendonker, whose first product was a gin distilled from potatoes. On its own base alcohol from Eifel potatoes Windspiel makes London dry gins, a sloe gin, a barrel-aged potato vodka and the Kraut & Knolle herbal spirit, and laid down a single malt whisky in its founding year.
- Raw materials
- Potatoes grown by contract farmers in the mineral-rich volcanic soil of the Eifel, each spirit from a single vintage, among them the starch-rich variety Pirol, distilled into the manufactory's own base alcohol; mostly regional ingredients such as hand-picked Eifel sloes, beside botanicals such as juniper, lavender, coriander, ginger root, cinnamon bark and lemon peel.
- What makes it distinctive
- Windspiel has worked from the start with its own base alcohol distilled from Eifel potatoes, and makes everything by hand in small batches without industrial plant, together with master distillers it names among Germany's best, one of them a doctor of sensory science. The name goes back to Frederick the Great, who brought the potato to Prussia with his potato decree of 1746 and loved Windspiel greyhounds. Its bottles close with natural cork, labels and cartons are recyclable paper, and shipping is CO2-neutral.
- Production methods
- Contract Production
- Handcrafted
- Small Batch
What they make
- GinsWindspiel gins on potato base alcohol: the London dry gin at 47 %, a Navy Strength at 57 %, the yearly Distillers Cut, a Reserve, a sloe gin with Eifel sloes, a gin with Van Volxem Riesling, coffee, pepper, Christmas, pistachio and pink grapefruit gins.
- VodkasThe Barrel Aged Potato Vodka, a vintage vodka from Pirol potatoes of the Vulkaneifel, distilled five times and rested in ash casks.
- Herbal SpiritKraut & Knolle, a herbal spirit of Eifel potatoes with chamomile, mullein flowers, meadow hay, orange and cardamom.
- WhiskiesA single malt whisky distilled in the founding year 2014, matured ten years and finished in ruby port casks — a limited first bottling.
- RumsPX Cask Panama, a rum from Panama aged about seven years in ex-bourbon casks there and finished for several months in PX sherry casks in the Vulkaneifel.
- LiqueursThe Aperitivo, a bitter orange liqueur with grapefruit and Mediterranean citrus.
