Wiegand Manufactur Weimar
A clear drink needs a clear design
Just as his gin now ages in American oak barrels, so too did Matthias Wiegand slowly come around to the idea, some years ago, supported by wife Lilit, of giving up his career as a chemist and “making something himself”. Now, more than five years later, he can say it was “absolutely the right decision. Constantly daring to break new ground and make almost everything myself is totally fulfilling”, says the proud head of the Wiegand Manufactur.
He performed his first gin-distilling experiments in his own kitchen with his wife, who helps him make all his important decisions, and is the first to taste new developments. What initially began as a sideline job soon became so successful that Matthias Wiegand started his own business; he now produces – and sells – 6000 bottles of his gin per year.
Award-winning organic gin
Lyonel Gin has long been a household name well beyond Weimar’s borders: “We named it after the first Bauhaus master to be appointed by Walter Gropius.” The affinity with the design school founded some 100 years ago in Weimar is evident from the bottles. “We thought a clear drink needed a clear design, so we selected the bottles based on this, and incorporated the Bauhaus colours into the label.” The organic wine has already received the ISW Gold Award (International Spirits Award) and a bronze medal at the IWSC in London (International Wine & Spirit Competition). The “Heimatlikör” herb liqueur has also been part of the product range for some time.
Matthias Wiegand moved out of his first production facility many moons ago – he needed a larger warehouse, and somewhere he, as a trained brandy sommelier, could run tastings of spirits – and by no means just his own. His shop is now right in the centre of town at Jakobstrasse 33.
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