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.