Family-run distillery for whisky, korn, gin, fruit brandies, geists and liqueurs since 1878.
Destillerie & Brennerei Heinrich Habbel GmbH & Co. KG
Sprockhövel · HerdeckeNew on Amplifa
About Brennerei Habbel
Destillerie & Brennerei Heinrich Habbel GmbH & Co. KG is a family-run distillery based in Sprockhövel on the edge of the Ruhr region. Founded in 1878 as an agricultural korn distillery, the company today processes raw materials such as malt, rye, wheat, buckwheat, peated malt and various fruits into korn, whisky, gin, fruit brandy, geists and liqueurs. Since 2013, production has taken place with the Hillock Park Distillery (1,700-litre capacity) and a new distillery commissioned in 2014 with fermentation capacity of over 400 hl, its own grain mill, mash tuns and pot still distillation; around 40,000 litres of spirits are sold annually. The offering also includes turnkey product development for third-party companies as well as the production of base materials and semi-finished products for the alcohol industry, most recently exclusively for the Brauerei Schwelm brewery. The site includes a distillery with bistro, whisky shop and an events programme for 20 to 100 people. In 1981, the Stiftsbrennerei Herdecke was taken over; acquired brands and recipes come, among others, from the Adler Brennerei Peters, the Kornbrennerei Wilhelm Saure and the Brennerei Hegemann.
- Site
- Sprockhövel
- Processes
- Korn distillery / distillation of spirits, Pot still distillation for whisky, Grain milling (own grain mill), Mashing and fermentation (fermentation capacity up to over 400 hl), Production of liqueurs and geists, Product development for third-party companies, Production of base materials and semi-finished products for the alcohol industry, Distillery tours and tastings
- Materials
- Malt, Rye, Wheat, Buckwheat, Peated malt, Fruit (various fruit varieties), Pot Still Distillation, Liqueur and Geist Production
- Founded
- 1878
- Industries
- Spirits production, Gastronomy, Alcohol industry, Retail
- 01
Own fruit and herb cultivation, beekeeping
- 02
Grain milling (own mill)
- 03
Mashing and fermentation
- 04
Pot still distillation
- 05
Storage/maturation
- 06
Bottling and distribution
- 07
Product development for third-party companies
Raw Materials & Processes
Malt
Raw material for korn products and single malt whisky; also peated malt for smoky whiskies.
Rye
Cereal raw material used, among other things, for the Hillock 4 Chief German Rye and classic korn brandies.
Wheat
Cereal raw material for spirits and korn products, traditionally processed since 1878.
Buckwheat
Special cereal raw material from the company's own grain mill for distinctive brandy products.
Fruit (various fruit varieties)
Basis for fruit brandies and geists, partly from the company's own cultivation of historic orchard varieties.
Pot Still Distillation
Batch distillation process used for the Hillock single malt whiskies.
Liqueur and Geist Production
Refinement with herbs, honey and fruit into herbal liqueurs, cream and whisky liqueurs.
Sites
Sprockhövel
DEHeadquarters, distillery, bistro, whisky shop
- Materials
- Malt, rye, wheat, buckwheat, peated malt, fruit
- Hillock Park Distillery (1,700-litre capacity)
- Distillery with fermentation capacity of over 400 hl
- Own grain mill
- Mash tuns
- Pot stills
Herdecke
DEStiftsbrennerei Herdecke (acquired in 1981)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korn distillery / distillation of spiritsOther | – | – | – | – | Malt, Rye, Wheat, Buckwheat, Peated malt, Fruit |
| Pot still distillation for whiskyOther | – | – | – | – | Malt, Peated malt |
| Grain milling (own grain mill)Other | – | – | – | – | Grain, Rye, Wheat, Buckwheat, Malt |
| Mashing and fermentation (fermentation capacity up to over 400 hl)Other | – | – | – | – | Grain, Malt |
| Production of liqueurs and geistsOther | – | – | – | – | Alcohol, Herbs, Honey, Fruit |
| Engineering | – | – | – | – | Alcohol |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distillery plant / pot still | – | – | Capacity 1,700 litres (Hillock Park Distillery, 2013) | 2013 | Sprockhövel |
| Distillery with fermentation capacity, grain mill, mash tuns and pot still distillation | – | – | Fermentation capacity up to over 400 hl | 2014 | Sprockhövel |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1878
Founded as an agricultural korn distillery with livestock farming and a tavern in Sprockhövel.
- 1923
Purchase of the business by Josef Habbel.
- 1954
Takeover of the business by Heinrich Habbel; expansion of the spirits business, main customers being gastronomy and mines.
- 1969
Inheritance passed to Cäcilie Habbel following the death of Heinrich Habbel.
- 1970
Business handed over to Michael Habbel.
- 1977
First 'Uralter Whisky' distilled by Michael Habbel.
- 1981
Takeover of the Stiftsbrennerei Herdecke including brand rights and recipes of the Adler Brennerei Peters (Dortmund).
- 1988
Takeover of the customer base and recipes of the Kornbrennerei Wilhelm Saure (Gevelsberg).
- 1994
Takeover of the technical equipment and staff of the Brennerei Levering (Brauerei Schwelm); exclusive production for the Brauerei Schwelm brewery.
- 2011
Michaela Habbel joins the company (4th generation).
- 2013
Foundation of the Hillock Park Distillery with a 1,700-litre capacity.
- 2014
Commissioning of a new distillery with fermentation capacity of over 400 hl, its own grain mill and pot still distillation.
- 2017
Hillock Single Malt 6.5/14 awarded Double Gold as the world's best whiskey of the year at the World Spirits Award.
- 2018
Takeover of equipment and recipes of the Brennerei Hegemann (1869–2018), Sprockhövel.
- 2019
Classification as a 'World Class Distillery'.