BCB returns to Messe Berlin from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October for its 20th edition, with 560 exhibitors, 2,200 products and around 12,000 visitors expected.
Education takes centre stage, with a revamped programme spanning ‘heads’, ‘hearts’ and ‘tails’ – covering trends and creativity, workplace culture and wellbeing, and practical skills.
Here’s a rundown of some of the must-visit stands.
Bacardi (Teeling Whiskey Co) – Stand 18A20
Bacardi will launch Santa Teresa Cask, a collaboration with Venezuelan rum producer Santa Teresa 1796, from its Teeling Irish whiskey’s Small Batch series at BCB Berlin. The Bombay Sapphire and Martini owner will also spotlight Teeling Wonders of Wood 4, alongside the core Teeling range.
Bacardi will bring back Teeling’s ‘Irish Coffee Speed Round Competition’, following the activation’s debut earlier this year at BCB London. Visitors can also try the Teeling frozen Irish coffee and the phoenix twist, made with the Irish whiskey mixed with ginger, lime and yuzu.
Global brand ambassador Rob Caldwell and European brand ambassador Beibhinn O’Reilly will be in attendance.
Calvados Christian Drouin – Stand 18D16
Calvados producer Christian Drouin will showcase its latest product releases at this year’s show, led by Experimental Kilchoman Angels (above) and Réserve Amphora, both of which will debut at BCB.
La Blanche de Christian Drouin, Calvados Christian Drouin Millésime 2006 and Le Gin de Christian Drouin will also be on display, as well as other products from the French company’s core calvados range. Group CEO Guillaume Drouin will be on hand to meet visitors at the stand.
Giulio Cocchi – Stand 18D19
Italian drinks producer Giulio Cocchi will showcase its range of aromatised wines (including vermouths and aperitifs), sparkling wines and the new Barolo Chinato Cocchi BK135 (above) – a 1,891-unit run based on the company’s “historic export recipe”.
The stand will host a dedicated Negroni sbagliato experience, with cocktail serves combining Cocchi vermouth and sparkling wine. GM & export director Roberto Bava, export area managers Giorgio Bava and Gabriele Savino and advocacy manager Sonia Elia will be on the stand.
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet (Saint James) – Stand 20B09
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet will showcase the full range from Martinique rhum Saint James, from white agricole to the brand’s 1997 vintage, released to mark the 30th anniversary of the Martinique AOC. The company will also unveil a new Saint James edition at the show, which has been “designed to appeal to consumers seeking indulgence, discovery and novelty”.
LMB will use BCB to meet with its European partners, strengthen existing relationships with bartenders and connect with the international cocktail community. Group communications manager Donatien Ferrari will be available to meet attendees.
Maison Ferrand – Stand 18A07
Maison Ferrand will showcase its core portfolio, led by Planteray XO 20th Anniversary (above), Cut & Dry and Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple. Citadelle Original, Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula and Ferrand Dry Curaçao will also feature, alongside recent launches from the company, such as alcohol-free gin Citadelle 0.0, Planteray Rum Oceana and Ferrand Le Renegade N°5.
Ferrand will use BCB to meet bartenders, distributors and customers, with marketing & communications director Angélique Jullienne available to meet at the stand.
Mont Blanc Vodka – Stand 20B20
Mont Blanc will be showcasing its latest release, Grande Époque, at this year’s show, alongside the core Mont Blanc range. The 40% ABV Grande Époque has been distilled seven times, matured for three months in French oak and rested for 90 days before bottling.
Sales and marketing reps will be on the stand, which will also host guided tastings and serve vodka cocktails. Mont Blanc will use BCB to meet on-premise professionals and gather insight into market trends such as “menu engineering, guest expectations and the balance between novelty and classic appeal”.
Pallini – Stand 18D07-01
Italian drinks producer Pallini intends to showcase its flagship limoncello alongside non-alcoholic Pallini Limonzero at next week’s exhibition. The stand will also feature premix extension Pallini Spritz in keg and RTD formats, with the kegs available to sample.
Pallini will use BCB to build on the performance of its limoncello and discuss changing approaches to aperitivo and spirits with the international bar community. CEO Micaela Pallini, commercial director Luca Cervellione Pallini and world business developers Marco Violin and Nikolaos Tsagkarakis will be in attendance.
Ron Centenario – Stand 17A65
Costa Rica’s Ron Centenario will showcase its rum portfolio’s export presence, led by 30 Aniversario, 25 Gran Reserva and 20 Fundación. The stand will be pouring the brand’s Café Coffee Liquor. Costa Rican bartenders Walter Zuñiga and Byron Gutiérrez, winners of the Costa Rica Spirit Masters competition, will create Ron Centenario cocktails on both days.
Head of international business Miguel Sequeira Torres, commercial director Jorge Mayorga and international business executive Paola Gutiérrez will attend.
Pernod Ricard (Share. Inspire. Pioneer.) – Stand 20A11
Pernod Ricard will bring its on-premise-focused interactive platform SIP (Share. Inspire. Pioneer.) – a “global community built for the people who make hospitality happen” – to life through its ‘Back of House’ activation.
The concept has been inspired by “the bartenders’ staff room, the place where teams gather between shifts, real conversations happen and new ideas take shape”. Hosted in partnership with Hamburg’s Nick & Nora bar, the activation will spotlight a curated portfolio of Pernod Ricard-owned brands, including Absolut, Lillet, Havana Club, Skrewball and Código.
The group’s on-trade education & advocacy lead, Pauline de Pins, and Skrewball co-founder Steve Yeng (above, with wife and fellow founder Brittany Merrill Yeng) will be at the show.
Spiribam – Stand 18A08
France’s Spiribam will bring several new products to BCB Berlin, including Maison Cartron’s Le Noctis 1938 Liqueur de Plantes (above). The group will also showcase two new additions to its SHAK.R Cocktails RTD range, Mango Colada and Peach Martini, alongside a revamped Rhum Clément portfolio, including Clément VO, which is now available internationally. These will be joined by Le Philtre Vodka, the latest addition to Spiribam’s portfolio.
Guest bartender Carlos Ilgen from Munich’s El Tato bar will serve cocktails at the stand, while export director Benoit de Truchis will be available to meet.
Solex Europe (White Birch) – Stand 20B16
Solex Europe will showcase its White Birch (above) vodka portfolio, including the Classic, Gold, Cranberry and Orchard Pear iterations, at the show. The Slovenian drinks company will use the exhibition to unveil its “premium infusions” line, alongside a sensory experience run by bartender & perfumer Arnd Heissen.
Solex will also use BCB to present its latest innovations, meet existing and potential partners and explore opportunities in the horeca channel, which it says is “becoming a key focus for our business”. Head of marketing Kristina Kalmykova will be on the stand.
The Bitter Truth – Stand 17C22
German producer The Bitter Truth will lead with its namesake cocktail bitters and liqueurs in Berlin next week, alongside spirit brand Tiki Lovers Rum. The latter’s range includes white and dark rums, as well as banana and coffee (above) extensions.
The Bitter Truth will use the show to demonstrate how bitters and liqueurs can be used to add balance and complexity to cocktails, with visitors invited to explore the wider portfolio across both brands.
Tapi Group – Stand 18D37
International group Tapì designs, produces and distributes closures for spirits, wine, beer, soft drinks and other categories such as perfume. Its namesake Italian brand and French closure manufacturer Les Bouchages Delage will be among those featured on the group’s stand this year.
Tapì Group will use BCB to meet producers and brand owners who are looking at closure options.
Vinolok – Stand 17B10
Czech closure producer Vinolok will showcase its range of glass stoppers for food and beverage packaging at BCB. The company has five ‘collections’ of closures and has worked with drinks brands including William Grant & Sons’ gin Silent Pool and Sogrape Vinhos’ port brand Sandeman.
Vinolok will highlight its Czech production heritage and sustainability efforts, such as local sourcing – the company claims “over 70%” of the materials for its closures come from within 40km of the glass furnace.
