We know that a lot of you enjoy a nice drop of whisky, but there’s a whole wide world of spirits out there for you to try. One spirit in particular, gin, has been making quite a stir recently and enjoying a bit of a boom in popularity.
For some, their experience with gin doesn’t extend past a bottle of Bombay Sapphire or Gordon’s. But we want to help you expand your palette, and since we know you’re especially fond of Japanese spirits, we figured this was a good place as any to start.
So if you want to sample something new to drink, these are the Japanese gins that we recommend.
Roku Gin
If you’ve spent upwards of one second looking up Japanese gin, then you’ve most likely encountered Roku. The good news is that the spirit definitely lives up to its reputation and is a great place to start for anyone looking to branch out. The brand’s name – the Japanese word for six – refers to the botanicals used to make it: cherry blossoms, cherry leaves, sencha, gyokuro, sanshō pepper, and yuzu. It also explains its unique hexagon bottle, which makes for a worthy addition to any bar shelf.
Where to buy Roku Gin: First Choice ($62) | Liquorland ($71) | Vintage Cellars ($71)
Nikka Coffey Gin
You might know Nikka for its fantastic Japanese whiskies, but we’re here to let you know that its excellence extends to its Coffey Gin.
In terms of palette, this gin combines flavours of yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu, shikuwasa, tangy apple and sanshō pepper, which gives it quite a citrusy taste. This rich and somewhat bitter flavour can somewhat overwhelm anything mixed with it, so this gin is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks instead of in a cocktail.
And, just to avoid any confusion for the uninitiated, its name references the Coffey stills it’s distilled in, not the hot drink you use to wake up with in the morning.
Where to buy Nikka Coffey Gin: First Choice ($94) | Liquorland ($94) | Vintage Cellars ($86)
Kanoshizuku Distilled Gin
Kanoshizuku has an interesting distillation process for its gin. It actually combines two spirits, with the first being distilled with kuromoji, while the second blends ten botanicals, which include lemon peel, Sichuan pepper, juniper berry, coriander, liquorice, angelica, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and callaway. It’s a refreshing and light spirit, with a slight spicy after kick, thanks to the pepper.
Where to buy Kanoshizuku Distilled Gin: BWS ($72) | Dan Murphy’s ($68.99)
135 East Hyogo Dry Japanese Gin
If a gin and tonic is your drink of choice or you prefer London dry gins, then 135 East’s Hyogo is what you’ll want. This gin uses a combination of Japanese botanicals, including cedar, shiso leaf, yuzu, sanshō pepper, coriander, angelica and juniper – which, according to 135 East, are all distilled separately to preserve their character and then blended together later. A splash of distilled sake is also added in, with the end result being a fresh, mellow and well-rounded spirit.
Where to buy 135 East Hyogo Dry Japanese Gin: BWS ($72) | Dan Murphy’s ($69.99)
Jinzu Premium Japanese Gin
Jinzu is distilled in Scotland, so we’re sort of stretching the definition of “Japanese gin” here. But it’s quite a lovely drink, and we didn’t want to leave it out.
It combines the more classic style of British gin with Japanese elements like yuzu and cherry blossoms, with the end result being smooth and floral gin, with a bit of zest. It’s blended with Junmai sake, and while some will find its presence to be a bit overwhelming, it certainly gives a unique flavour.
Where to buy Jinzu Premium Japanese Gin: Amazon Australia ($70.63) | Catch ($76.99) | Liquorland ($68)
Note: Some drink pricing varies from state to state.
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Is there anything you recommend that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
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