Germany is far from alone in the expanding category of ‘world whisky’. However, the sheer extent and diversity of German whiskies stands in stark contrast to how rarely they are discussed. Compared to Scotland’s 147 operating distilleries, Germany has at least 200–230. No one, it seems, can agree on a precise number.
In 2019, Michaela Habbel suggested that “about 200” distilleries were producing whisky in Germany, noting, “It’s crazy how many German whisky distilleries there are these days.” She is not just any commentator but one of the first whisky producers in Germany, and in 2019 was serving as president of the Verband Deutscher Whiskybrenner (VDW), Germany’s association of whisky makers. Alba Collection also produces a map showing about 200 German distilleries.
As recently as 2022, www.whiskyflavour.com was asking, “Do Germans make whisky?”. In 2023, UK newspaper the Telegraph called Germany “the surprising European country that makes twice as many whiskies as Scotland”. That is without even touching on the significant contributions made to global whisky distilling by German malt production and distilling equipment, such as Holstein and Carl stills used across the world.
Despite its diversity, German whisky is produced in relatively small quantities. Slyrs, the first dedicated malt whisky distiller in Germany, produces around 85,000 litres per annum (lpa). Many distilleries are far smaller still, with
