COUNTRY :
Germany
REGION :
Germany and beyond
PRODUCTION :
Freimeister Kollektiv was founded in Berlin by artist and distiller Theo Ligthart in 2016 to bring small producers to the market in the most accessible way possible. With a world of consumers looking for a more diversified spirits experience, the collective seeks to answer the challenge of “complying with an increasing demand for transparency and sustainability” (Theo Ligthart). Theo came to distilling through his own art – he created a Dopplekorn together with a Brandenburg distillery, examining how a piece balances between being art and a commercial product. He brings this kind of collaborative, experimental energy to each project under Freimeister Kollektiv. He has created a network of around 30 distillers and bartenders in Germany, France, Austria, Estonia, Denmark, Ukraine, Spain, and Mexico that create interpretations of classic spirits as well as original beverages. Including bartenders and beverage professionals is a way of including all levels of the spirits world in the collaboration process. Theo himself is involved with each distiller and project.
Orange Bitters Wein
Collaborator: Franck Audoux, Paris. Alexandra Schmedes, Castilla-La Mancha. Gerald Schroff, Berlin.
Base: red wine
Process: fortified wine macerated with botanicals
Sugar: added
Botanicals: bitter oranges, orange spirit, wormwood, orange blossoms, gentian, nutmeg flower, angostura, quinine bark, verjuice
ABV: 19.4%
Rhabarber 960
Collaborator: Gerald Schroff, Berlin. Matthias Schulz, Diesdorf
Base: rhubarb brandy
Process: rhubarb brandy and rhubarb juice blended to make rhubarb liqueur
Sugar: none added
Botanicals: holsteiner blut variety of rhubarb
ABV: 23.4%
Volcan Azul Cold Brew 340
Collaborator: Josef Farthofer, Austria and Ralf Rüller, specialty coffee pioneer, Berlin.
Base: Volcan Azul cold brew (West Valley, Costa Rica)
Process: Ralf roasts “greener” beans for more intense aromas. Josef cold extracts and distills the beans
Sugar: none added
ABV: 22.2%
Wodka Sangaste 800
Collaborator: Sven Ivanov, Estonia
Base: organic Sangaste winter rye
Process: whole grain Sangaste winter rye is ground and mashed, fermented with green malt and organic yeast, column distilled, unfiltered. stored for 6 months before being brought to 50% abv with spring water from the Pandivere plateau.
Sugar: none added
ABV: 50%
Haselnuss Wacholder 051
Collaborator: Gerhard Liebl, Bavarian Forest
Base: wheat distillate
Process: wheat distillate with hazelnuts and fresh juniper berries
Sugar: none added
Botanicals: Piedmontese hazelnuts, cacao, vanilla, Tuscan juniper berries
ABV: 41.5%
Wermut Uhulder 017
Collaborator: Lisa Bauer, Styria
Base: uhudler grape distillate
Process: uhudler wine vacuum distilled, mixed with uhudler wine macerated with botanicals
Sugar: none added
Botanicals: wormwood, gentian root, licorice root, lemon blam, orange, elderflower blossoms, lemongrass.
ABV: 22%
Gondo AB 381 Coffee Spirit
Collaborator: Josef Farthofer, Austria and Ralf Rüller, specialty coffee pioneer, Berlin.
Base: neutral grain spirit. Josef cultivates his own wheat.
Process: Gonda AB coffee from Muranga, Kenya are lightly roasted to preserve fruity aromas. Ground beans are macerated in the wheat distillate and then distilled.
Sugar: none
ABV: 40%
Doppelwacholder 052
Collaborator: Gerhard Liebl, Bavarian Forest
Base: fine wheat distillate
Process: fresh juniper berries are gently pressed and macerated in wheat distillate for 48 hours. distilled for 5 hours in a 150 liter still. matured in earthenware containers for several months. diluted with spring water before bottling
Sugar: none added
Botanicals: fresh juniper berries from Tuscany
ABV: 43%
Cassis 775
Producer: Fritz Martin Mozer, fruit grower and distiller. Located in Hohenloe, Germany
Base: currant brandy
Process: fresh pressed black currant juice diluted with currant brandy (distilled on site)
Sugar: 200g/l — half of the typical cassis sugar levels
ABV: 25%