Kanagawa prefecture's Koganei Shuzo is now making a craft gin fairly nearby Tokyo, with a focus on Kanagawa botanicals. They've named it "Koganei," and they are aiming for a good variety of fruit, herbs, spices, and woody notes, with most of the botanicals sourced from somewhere in the prefecture:
- Kabosu
- Sansho
- Shonan Gold
- Cedar wood
- Cypress wood
- Cherry blossom
- Lemongrass
- Tea leaves
- Fish mint
And that's topped off by imported juniper. Koganei was actually released back but September but it slipped under the radar. In fact looking around it seems the only place you can pick up a bottle online (500ml, 43% abv, 4860 yen after tax) is directly from the distillery.
In any case, with so many new craft distilleries popping up, I have to wonder how long it will be before we start seeing some distilleries right here in Tokyo?
I’m Whiskey Richard, and I am the founder of nomunication.jp. I’ve lived in Tokyo for over a decade, and I am a certified Shochu Kikisake-shi/Shochu Sommelier (焼酎唎酒師), Cocktail Professor (カクテル検定１級), and I hold Whisky Kentei Level 3 (ウイスキー検定３級). Click here for more details about me and this site. Kampai!
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