NEWS

  • LIGNELL & PIISPANEN CRAFTED SUMMER RUBY GRAPEFRUIT LIQUEUR AWARDED WITH MASTER MEDAL IN SPIRITS MASTERS COMPETITION

    Organized since 2008 the Global Spirits Masters competition has awarded Lignell & Piispanen Crafted Summer Ruby Grapefruit liqueur with Master medal in fruit liqueur category.

    The Spirits Business hosts The Liqueur Masters competition in a drive to find and reward the finest Craft Spirits brands on the world stage. Chaired by The Spirits Business and assessed by a panel of leading spirits specialists from different fields of expertise, the spirits were judged in a blind tasting to discover the Liqueur Masters of 2019. Excellence is recognized by category with Silver, Gold and Master medals.

    The spirits were judged by the appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and balance. The judges described Lignell & Piispanen Crafted Summer Ruby Grapefruit as a perfectly balanced liqueur that is celebrated for its “well‐made tart character”, and was one of the few they tried that tasted identical to its fruit.

    “We have had great success lately.  First, the nomination on the Vodka Producer 2019 shortlist by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC ), and now Master medal for Crafted Summer Ruby Grapefruit liqueur in Spirits Masters competition. Ruby is a modern type of liqueur as it is relatively low in sugar and has innovative flavors. Its refined taste comes from pink grapefruit, bitters, herbs and a dash of gin. Ruby has been well received in Finland and it has been a good seller, so we had our hopes high it to be successful in this competition, but still, we were taken by surprise with the master’s medal. ” says Kirsi Räikkönen, the new managing director of Lignell & Piispanen.

    Master winners are subsequently judged for the overall title of Liqueur Taste Master 2019.“Last year Ruby’s sister Crafted Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur took Gold and now Ruby got Master. To win the Grand Master would be a dream come true and truly the best Christmas present for us” says Räikkönen.

    Further information:
    Kirsi Räikkönen, CEO
    + 358 40 770 0804
    kirsi.raikkonen@lignellpiispanen.fi

    Founded in 1852, the Lignell & Piispanen distillery is the third oldest family-owned company still in operation in Finland. The success of this internationally award-winning company is based on six generations of craftsmanship, knowledge of raw materials, 100% transparency and respect for the principles of sustainable development.

  • LIGNELL & PIISPANEN ON THE IWSC CANDIDATE LIST FOR THE WORLD’S BEST VODKA PRODUCER

    The international and world-renowned alcohol competition The IWSC has listed Lignell & Piispanen from Kuopio on the Vodka Producer 2019 shortlist. According to the contest organizer IWSC shortlisted candidates have been selected from hundreds of nominees. The winner of the competition will be announced on November 28, 2019 at The IWSC Awards Banquet in London. More information: www.iwsc.net/winners/shortlist. 

    The IWSC, also known as the International Wine & Spirit Competition, sets an international standard for wines and spirits. For half a century the International Wine & Spirit Competition has been recognizing and rewarding the very best wines and spirits and producers in the world. Learn more at www.iwsc.net

    “The fact that we are listed amongst the four best vodka producers in the world is a tremendous honor for us. We have been making vodka in Kuopio since 1869 and have a long tradition of producing quality beverages. Our vodkas have won awards in many international competitions around the world and our Gustav Dillvodka has been selected twice as the world’s best vodka in the line of flavored vodkas. We believe that the key to the success is craftsmanship, extraordinary quality and pleasantly smooth taste. Success in internationally acclaimed competitions such as the IWSC is also important to us because it opens us doors to competitive international markets.” says Kirsi Räikkönen, the new Managing Director of Lignell & Piispanen.

    Read also: www.gustavdistillery.com/blog/iwsc-awards-2019-gustav-product-line/

    More information:

    Kirsi Räikkönen, Managing Director
    +358 40 770 0804
    kirsi.raikkonen@lignellpiispanen.fi

  • LIGNELL & PIISPANEN STRENGTHENS OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT BY APPOINTING KIRSI RÄIKKÖNEN AS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

    Kirsi Räikkönen has been appointed by the Board of Directors of Lignell & Piispanen as the new Managing Director of Lignell & Piispanen as of October 2019. Räikkönen will also continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Harri Nylund, formerly Managing Director, will take over the Development Director´s role. With these changes, the company aims to respond to changes in the industry’s consumer behaviour and customer interface and to strengthen strategic development projects.

    Kirsi Räikkönen is an experienced international consumer brand commercialist and marketing professional. Kirsi has worked as the Marketing Director and Member of the Executive Team of Sinebrychoff, the oldest brewery in Finland, part of the Carlsberg Group. She has also worked as Marketing and Development Director at Marimekko Corporation, and as Marketing Management Positions at H&M Hennes & Mauritz in Finland and the UK. In addition, she has worked in the start-up world and assisted SMEs in commercial strategic planning. In recent years, Kirsi has focused on board work, including the Board of Directors of Lignell & Piispanen and Helsinki Mill. She also volunteers for Mentors in Finland.

    “I am very excited about this opportunity. Lignell & Piispanen is a family-owned business with a long history and interesting stories. It has excellent and well-known products as well as a lot of know-how, which is good to build on in the future. The alcohol industry is already familiar to me. This industry sector has been in constant change, and it requires companies to be constantly awake. With this arrangement we will be able to respond better to these changes, “says Kirsi Räikkönen.

    “We have started a number of interesting development projects. Having Kirsi taking over operational duties helps us and gives me more time to focus on these important projects. Kirsi has been a member of the Board of Directors for several years and she has brought new insights into the action. So I am pleased with the change and look forward to working together with Kirsi” says Harri Nylund, who is taking over Development Director´s role.

    Founded in 1852, the Lignell & Piispanen distillery is the third oldest family-owned company still in operation in Finland. The success of this internationally award-winning company is based on six generations of craftsmanship, knowledge of raw materials, 100% transparency and respect for the principles of sustainable development.

  • LIGNELL & PIISPANEN’S GUSTAV PRODUCT LINE RETURNS TO THE IWSC – GUSTAV DILL VODKA WINS GOLD AGAIN!

    The international and world-renowned alcoholic beverage competition IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) in London has awarded numerous medals to the products in Lignell & Piispanen’s Gustav line.

    The IWSC has been officially evaluating and awarding the best alcoholic beverages for more than half a century and has set a high international standard for wines and spirits all around the world. Learn more at https://www.iwsc.net.

    Lignell & Piispanen’s Gustav products have participated in the competition for the past few years and have consistently been awarded IWSC medals. Gustav Dill Vodka has been the most highly-awarded product with a gold medal every year for the previous two years in the flavoured vodka category. “This now makes it the third year in a row that our Dill Vodka has won gold in this prestigious competition, a famous hat-trick,” says Harri Nylund, CEO of Lignell & Piispanen, a family-owned company. Gustav Dill Vodka, crafted on site at Lignell & Piispanen’s Siikaranta distillery in Kuopio, is an aromatic distilled artisan vodka from Finnish dill.

    In addition to Gustav Dill Vodka’s IWSC gold, Gustav Arctic Vodka brought home a silver medal in the neutral vodka category and Gustav Blueberry Vodka received bronze in the flavoured vodka category. Gustav’s vodkas have won more than just normal IWSC medals, proven by Gustav Arctic Vodka’s silver and Gustav Blueberry Vodka’s bronze medals in the Vodka & Double Dutch Tonic 2019 category. “We are proud to say that the best vodkas in the world continue to come from Finland and Kuopio, where we have been making them for 150 years. The awards are a great tribute to our craftsmanship and the pure Finnish ingredients that we use.”

    Gustav Metsä Gin (Gustav Forest Gin), just launched in March 2019, also received an award from the distinguished international competition. Gustav Metsä Gin was awarded bronze in the Modern Gin category and silver in the Gin & Double Dutch Tonic 2019 category. “The inspiration behind this new gin was the forest’s first morning dew and all its abundant aromas and flavours. The flavours of the forest are incredibly rich and pure, and we wanted consumers to be able to experience it, too. This award shows that we have certainly succeeded,” states Lignell & Piispanen’s CEO Harri Nylund.

    The recipes for Gustav Dill Vodka and Gustav Metsä Gin have been created by Heidi Nylund, responsible for Lignell & Piispanen’s product development and a member of the company’s owning family. All the Gustav bottles have been designed by Tampere-based designer Jaani Vaahtera.

    Founded in 1852, the Lignell & Piispanen distillery is the third oldest family-owned company still in operation in Finland. The success of this internationally award-winning company is based on six generations of craftsmanship, knowledge of raw materials, 100% transparency and respect for the principles of sustainable development.

    Additional information:

    Harri Nylund, CEO
    044 585 2561
    harri.nylund@lignellpiispanen.fi

  • DOUBLE GOLD AT SIP AWARDS!

    GUSTAV DILL VODKA AND GUSTAV METSÄ GIN WIN GOLD AT INTERNATIONAL SIP AWARDS

    The multi-award-winning Gustav Dill Vodka and Gustav Metsä Gin, which was launched for public sale in March, have both been awarded a gold medal at the 2019 International SIP Awards in the United States. The SIP Awards is the only international, blind tasting competition where consumers are the judges.

    “We are really flattered and happy about Gustav Dill Vodka and especially Gustav Metsä Gin’s success in this competition. Our Dill Vodka has already been extremely successful internationally and has won many gold medals in the flavoured vodka categories. Gustav Metsä Gin, a true tribute to the flavours of the Finnish nature, was released only two months ago and immediately won gold. And it must also be remembered that it is already an honour to get your own products included in the competition, as 89 brands were cut off this year in the competition,” says Harri Nylund, CEO of Lignell & Piispasen.

    Utilising only the best natural ingredients

    The unique flavours of Lignell & Piispanen’s products come from their own aroma distillation still, which is capable of distilling the finest flavours from natural raw ingredients. Behind all the success is a deep commitment to quality production. “The 13 different raw ingredients used to create Gustav Metsä Gin were built with love over two years, so we dared to look forward to success. Our product development team has done a great job and these awards are especially valuable to us because the competition’s judges are ordinary consumers,” says Nylund.

    For further information:
    Harri Nylund, CEO
    +358 44 585 2561
    harri.nylund@lignellpiispanen.fi

    Founded in 1852, the Lignell & Piispanen distillery is the third oldest family-owned company still in operation in Finland. The success of this internationally award-winning company is based on six generations of craftsmanship, knowledge of raw materials, 100% transparency and respect for the principles of sustainable development.

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