Vodka Windspiel Barrel Aged Potato

The quartet—Sandra Wimmeler, Denis Lönnendonker, Rebecca Mertes, and Tobias Schwoll—wanted a drastic change of course. They wanted to escape the daily grind and be one with nature, creating an honest and unique product. This philosophy led them to the picturesque village of Berlingen, located in the volcanic Eifel region. The area was formed by ancient volcanoes. Except for Kasselburg Castle, the forest, and vast expanses of farmland, there was nothing else to see as far as the eye could see. The foursome decided this would be the place where their dreams would become reality.

But did they really want to trade their fine clothes and style for overalls? They wouldn’t be the Windspiels if they didn’t maintain their chic style. Only Tobias traded in his flannel shirt for overalls and started working. Soon, farm life became a reality. They became energy self-sufficient, and they had their own pigs and goats roaming around. Every evening, the four friends treated themselves to a glass of gin and enjoyed their homemade potato dishes. This is where Tobias really began to talk about his dreams.

He wanted to be a potato farmer. The stony volcanic landscape would have made this practically impossible, but for Tobias, nothing was impossible to achieve his dreams. Soon after, Tobias prepared the stony fields for his potatoes. Only the best was good enough. They still ate their potato dishes every evening, but now made with their own homegrown potatoes. One evening, while Denis was sipping his gin, he wondered why they didn’t make their own distillate, like gin, but from their own potatoes instead of the usual grain. The others thought it was a bit of a crazy idea, but Denis convinced them. And so the experimentation began. A down-to-earth gin with a subtle flavor, yet still suitable for connoisseurs. After months of working on the best formula, the best result arrived: their Premium Dry Gin.

A premium gin distilled from our own potatoes with juniper berries, lime, and coriander. To give the gin a special character, botanicals like lavender and cinnamon are added; the rest is a chef’s secret! The gin is subtle thanks to its special production process, which undergoes three distillations instead of the usual two. The volcanic soil of the potatoes gives this premium gin a silky smooth character.

The only thing missing now was a name for this wonderful product. The four friends remembered a visit to a woman in the neighboring village. The woman told them a lot about the history of the area and the farm. Later, the woman told them about the Prussian King Frederick the Great, who once had the idea to make a liqueur from the Eifel “Tartoffel.” Unfortunately, he never managed to carry out his plans. Creating a delicious drink would be the crowning achievement of his life’s work. The four initially doubted the story, but they did all they could to research Frederick the Great. Dog lover Sandra, in particular, was touched by the passion and love Frederick the Great had for his greyhounds. He even wanted to be buried with them. And there was the name: Windspiel.

If you think the Windspiels are now kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying their success on their cozy farm with a glass of gin, you’re mistaken! A resourceful and highly motivated spirit still lingers. After another evening of philosophizing about life, the four shared their pride. Proud of their own gin, despite everyone’s suspicion of their plans. And now they’ve created a premium gin that’s known worldwide! And this in a village where they only sip schnapps and vodka. And there, the next idea was born… How could they have not thought of this before? Vodka! For this, they used a special potato variety called the Pirol potato, which has an even more intense flavor. This vodka wasn’t meant to be an ordinary vodka, but a unique vodka for true connoisseurs… and not just the pure alcohol of their gin. They developed a technique to bring out the intense flavor of the Pirol potato in the vodka. Smooth and intense. The result wasn’t good enough, so they decided to let the vodka mature in oak barrels for a few months. Now the vodka was perfect! A vodka made by connoisseurs for connoisseurs.