UKIYO

When making a spirit in the shadow of an active volcano literally named “Cherry Blossom Island” there is no small amount of pressure to produce something excel-lent and visually striking. Rising to this challenge in both regards come the Ukiyo gins of Kagoshima prefecture in Japan.

Locally grown barley is distilled into a traditional Shochu spirit, then distilled again with a range of botanicals and a pair of unique ones (Yuzu for the Yuzu, Cherry Blossom for the Blossom, naturally!), to produce two beautiful gins. Ukiyo back that up with a stylish rice vodka.