BENIZAKURA DISTILLERY

HOKKAIDO

The Benizakura Distillery, Hokkaido’s first craft gin specialist opened in 2018. The distillery was established in Benizakura Park, one of the oldest traditional Japanese gardens in Sapporo. The garden is owned by Hokkaido Liberty Whisky, who wanted to create a gin that encapsulates the traditional ingredients while adding some of Hokkaido’s locally sourced botanicals.

Their craft gin, '9148' is inspired by George Orwell's novel 1984, based in a dystopian society where bad tasting gin becomes a metaphor for a controlling society. '9148' aims to create delicious gin which symbolise freedom of thought.

Recipe #0101 is the distillery's trademark and is the basis for all other gin recipes. This original recipe is full of umami snd was created with classic botanicals such as juniper berry, coriander or angelica, but also typically Japanese ingredients such as Hidaka kombu, dried daikon and dried shiitake mushroom.

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, cinnamon, Hidaka kombu, angelica, lemon peel, blueberry, dried shiitake mushroom, Kiriboshi daikon, rose red petal, black pepper, cardamom, white pepper, clove.

Most of the botanicals are harvested locally in the Benizakura Park from which the distillery takes its name, and the rest mainly on the island of Hokkaido.