Pernod Ricard-owned Ki No Bi gin’s new fossil-free distillery, situated within the Kyoto Prefecture in Japan, is now open and totally operational.
The location’s ‘grand opening’ can be hosted on 7 October, marking 15 months since a Shinto shrine grasp blessed the bottom on which it was in-built a standard groundbreaking ceremony.
The ability, situated in Kameoka metropolis in Kyoto Prefecture, only a quick drive from Kyoto, is a part of Ki No Bi’s ambitions to sustainably develop its international distribution.
The brand new distillery’s ‘extremely environment friendly’ boiler is powered solely by electrical energy utilizing solely renewable power sources resembling wind, water, photo voltaic and geothermal power.
Moreover, the brand new facility boasts a number of stills, which allow the manufacturing workforce to keep up the ‘meticulous’ gin-making course of that defines the model.
The artisan gin is constructed from high-quality rice spirit and Japanese botanicals, resembling yellow yuzu, Akamatsu wooden chips, bamboo, gyokuro tea and inexperienced sanshō berries.
It’s crafted with pure groundwater sourced from the sake-brewing district of Fushimi.
Every of its six botanical components – citrus, tea, natural, spice, and fruity and floral – is distilled individually earlier than being blended to create an fragrant with a ‘refreshing style’ and a mild kick of heat, ginger spice.
Hiroyuki Nagai, operations director at The Kyoto Distillery, mentioned: “Ki No Bi is a model with a really Japanese coronary heart and an artisanal spirit made with obsessive consideration to element. We might have put in one giant nonetheless on the new facility, however we selected to not as a result of we consider in sustaining our meticulous distillation course of.
“We don’t merely mix all of the components into one nonetheless and press a button. Our botanicals are divided into six totally different flavour teams and distilled individually, then blended, producing a particular, pure and completely balanced gin, with a Japanese accent.”
In keeping with the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Affiliation, gin gross sales in Japan have elevated fourfold from 1.2 million litres to five.5 million litres previously 5 years, pushed partially by rising curiosity in distinctive Japanese botanicals resembling yuzu.
Ki No Bi gin, which interprets to ‘the fantastic thing about the seasons’, launched in 2016 at Japan’s first gin-dedicated distillery, situated in Kyoto.
Murielle Arnaud Dessenis, international vice-president of promoting gins at Pernod Ricard, mentioned: “The magic of Kyoto spreads its wings. This can be a historic milestone for our luxurious Japanese gin gem – displaying its dedication to each sustainability and its ambition to develop.
“It’s a journey that started in 2016 and continues to evolve as we goal to capitalise on the chance to develop Ki No Bi’s international market share as an ultra-premium gin of selection.”
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