St. Kilian at the Spencer Hill Festival in Gubbio/Italy

The most iconic Bud Spencer and Terence Hill fan meeting

From July 27th to 30th, 2023, the 20th Spencer Hill Festival took place in the picturesque city of Gubbio in the heart of Italy. This is the only official, international event dedicated to the most beloved Italian actor duo of all time, Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. Every year, thousands of fans from Italy and all over Europe come together to pay tribute to the heroes of their childhood and to celebrate the legendary films of these two icons of Italian cinema.

Under the radiant Italian sun, the exclusive event offered a comprehensive program full of activities and attractions. In addition to a food mile in true Italian tradition, beer halls, and various bars, the St. Kilian Whisky and Liqueur Store attracted numerous fans and connoisseurs. The St. Kilian team, led by founder and owner Andreas Thümmler and CEO Philipp Trützler, had their hands full meeting the enormous demand for the high-quality Bud Spencer and Terence Hill whiskies. The full-bodied St. Kilian liqueurs Bud Spencer "Feuerwasser" and Terence Hill "Voll auf die Nuss" as well as the brand new banana cream liqueur Bud Spencer "Banana Joe" also found favor with the festival attendees.
Over four days, visitors not only celebrated the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill whiskies and liqueurs, but also well-known and new live acts and celebrity guests, and enjoyed stunt shows, games, and film screenings.

The absolute highlight was the appearance of the patron of the festival, the legendary Terence Hill. At 84 years old, Mario Girotti, as the Italian actor is known by his real name, stood on stage in Western attire to sustained applause from his fans. Visibly moved, Terence Hill thanked his fans in Italian and German and announced a new, beautiful, and entertaining Western film. He was accompanied by his son Jess, Maria, the wife of his companion Bud Spencer, and their children Cristiana and Giuseppe Pedersoli.

The crowning glory of the Spencer Hill Festival was the personal meeting of the St. Kilian team with the charismatic film star. Terence Hill also took some shared snapshots with his German friends.

Bud Spencer and Terence Hill at St. Kilian – The Genesis of a Success Story

Shortly after the successful launch of the first St. Kilian Single Malt Whisky, contact was established in 2020 between Bavaria Sonor Licensing (BSL) and St. Kilian Distillers GmbH. At that time, BSL, a division of Bavaria Media GmbH, was striving to expand the product world around Bud Spencer and Terence Hill throughout Europe with licensing collaborations and corresponding licensed products.

"As a big fan of Bud and Terence, I didn't hesitate and immediately agreed. We quickly came to an understanding, and soon after, the first whisky editions under the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill label were released," recalls Andreas Thümmler in an interview with Double Trouble Magazine.

Starting in November 2020, the mild and smoky whiskies from St. Kilian with their heroes Bud Spencer - The Legend and Terence Hill - The Hero were gradually created in Rüdenau, exceeding all expectations. At the same time, the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill liqueurs, which are produced on the basis of St. Kilian New Make, were developed and successfully launched. Fans of the Italian cult duo and the St. Kilian Distillery are equally enthusiastic about the products, and new ones are added daily.

Since then, the two film heroes have accompanied St. Kilian and are an integral part of the young distillery's extensive whisky and liqueur range. More information about Bud Spencer and Terence Hill at St. Kilian can be found in the exclusive interview with St. Kilian founder and owner Andreas Thümmler for Double Trouble Magazine.

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