The award recognizes the craftsmanship and love of the regional art of distilling. The submitted brandies were judged by the Small Distillers and Fruit Distillers Association of North Württemberg, which carried out the tasting and judging at the district administration office at the end of October.
Only brandies, spirits and distillates whose fruit comes from the orchards of the Ludwigsburg district were eligible to take part - an important signal for the preservation of this unique cultural landscape. Other culinary delights such as whisky, gin and rum are now also among the specialties submitted and are put through their paces by the experienced team of testers.
District Administrator Allgaier emphasized: "Our orchards not only characterize the landscape, they are also a piece of home. With the fruit brandy award, we want to honor the people who produce high-quality distillates with passion and regional responsibility and thus contribute to the preservation of this tradition."
Award-winning distillers and distillers
The following distillers were recognized for their outstanding achievements this year:
Daniel Blank, Destillerie Blank, Steinheim, for the Mirabelle plum brandy, the grape marc brandy, the barrel-aged Traminer pomace brandy and the Williams Christ brandy
Thomas Bühler, Brennerei Bühler, Marbach for the Wilder Mann plum brandy matured in rum barrels, the hazelnut spirit and the whisky The Spirit of Friedrich Schiller
Tobias and Wolfgang Fesser, Fesslermill 1996 Distillerie, Sersheim, for the Mettermalt Classic Whisky, the Mettermalt VfB Stuttgart DFB Cup Winner Single Malt Whisky, the Mettermalt Single Lemberger Cask Rye Whisky, the Alwa Mettermalt Gin and the Mettermalt Single Cask Rum
Michael Föll, Grüngefühl Distillerie, Möglingen, for the Kornbrand Möglinger Korn
Martin Geiger, Weingut Geiger, Ludwigsburg-Poppenweiler, for the Himbeergeist, Williams Gold and Muscat Bleu Grape Brandy
Alexander Kalich, Müllers's Obstwiese, Besigheim, for the raspberry brandy
Gerd and Michael Kinzinger, Berghof Kinzinger, Vaihingen Enz/Enzweihingen, for the Muskat-Trollinger pomace brandy
Alexander Lieb, for Mirabelle de Nancy
Andreas Müller, Remseck, for the Kirschbrand Burlaf and the Obstler made from apples and pears
Herbert Rath, Löchgau, for the Edelbrand fruit brandy made from apples and pears
Meik Sartorius, Sartorius Edelbrände, Bönnigheim, for the Cutter's Whisky
Jürgen Schieler, Eberdingen, for the Mirabelle plum brandy and the clear apple brandy
Steffen Seitz, Obstbrennerei Seitz, Ingersheim, for the Kerner grape brandy from the oak barrel and the Williams pear brandy
Andreas Stiegler, Marbach, for the brandy, the Williams pear brandy and the raspberry brandy
Roland Vollmer, Vollmer Winery, Bietigheim-Bissingen, for the quince brandy and the sour cherry brandy
Erwin Wyrich, Markgröningen, for the plum brandy and the Palmisch pear brandy
Presentation of donations to TAF
During the event, District Administrator Allgaier presented TAF with a donation check for 6,500 euros - a record donation. 6,098 euros came from the stand operators, with Allgaier personally rounding up the rest. TAF is a joint project of the Baden-Württemberg Commandery of the Order of St. John and the Ludwigsburg District Deaconry Association. The aim is to support children and young people from low-income families in the Ludwigsburg district in the areas of art, culture and sport - especially when financial barriers prevent the development of talent.
"With this donation, we want to enable children in the district to discover and develop their talents - regardless of their families' financial situation. The TAF project makes an important contribution to equal opportunities," said Allgaier at the handover.
The project enables participation in cultural events such as theater visits, concerts or sports activities and creates space for creative and sporting development. The project is fully funded by donations.
Background
The fruit brandy award is an integral part of the Ludwigsburg Late Harvest Market, which takes place from November 3 to 8, 2025 in the Kreishaus. Every year, the market presents culinary and artisan specialties from the district as well as from partner districts in Germany and abroad - a showcase of regional diversity under the motto "This is how the district tastes".
