Recipe o1

The Spirit of
Okinawa

Mahae
O K I N AWA ’ S F I R S T C R A F T G I N

In 2017, at the Masahiro distillery in the southernmost tip on Okinawa Main Island,
the first Craft Gin from Okinawa was born. When the first drop fell in the distillery,
they were in the middle of a very hot summer and it is said they immediately felt
Okinawa’s seasonal wind “Mahae”. The factory overflowed with aroma that has
never been felt before. With your first sip, feel the island breeze of Mahae
distilled with local botanicals, tropical sweetness, citris and pepper flavours it is
like taking a trip to the sandy shores of this beautiful region.
P O RTA R I C A

P R O D U C T H I STO RY

Masahiro Distillery

Masahiro distillery has been on the tropical southern island of Naha in

Okinawa Prefecture, Japan since 1883. Their expertise lies in Awamori,
Okinawa’s traditional spirit, so it is only natural that Okinawa’s first craft
gin be made from an Awamori base.

The Masahiro craftsman have been making Awamori for over 130 years.
Their curiosity, led them to think about Gin, like an Okinawan Champuru
(a mix of different things together) spirits. When creating their own Gin
recipe, six different types of botanicals were carefully selected, and they
pursued the production of gin while making the most of their
!3

characteristics.
O K I N AWA
PRODUCT PROFILE

Recipe o1
For over 130 years, Masahiro Shuzo Brewery has been brewing the Okinawan traditional
distilled sake, Ryukyu Awamori. By applying our long cultivated Awamori brewing techniques
and utilizing ingredients unique to Okinawa to create a brand-new product, we have
challenged to brew gin, one of the four top spirits in the world. The botanicals include
roselle (from the hibiscus family), guava leaves, and long pepper, but the most interesting
addition is goya, the green, bumpy Okinawan bitter melon. At 47% ABV, it’s bursting with
Floral Flavours, tropical fruit, and green notes from the bitter melon.

Winner of Silver Medal

Tokyo Whisky Spirits Competition 2019

Volume: 750ml
Case Size: 6 bottles
Alcohol: 47%
PRODUCTION METHODOLOGY

Hybrid Distillation
Awamori is made from long grain Thai rice which is
inoculated with black koji mould, fermented and then
distilled. Masahiro Awamori undergoes ‘hybrid distillation’:
two Awamori are distilled – one from a horizontal pot still,
the other from a vertical pot still – and blended. Using
this ‘hybrid distillation’ technique and five, uniquely
JUNIPER BERRIES G U AVA L E AV E S S H E K WA S H A
Okinawan botanicals (+juniper) a truly tropical & terroir-
T H E BAS E A R O MA O F G I N FRUITY AND FLORAL WITH A CITRUS WITH
driven gin is born. SLIGHT SWEETNESS AND A R E F R E S H I N G ACC E N T
BIT TERNESS

6 Types of Botanicals,
Unique to the Tropics.
Juniper berry is a common botanical for gin. We believe
the most important point when creating Okinawa's first gin
is to perfectly match this juniper berry with the botanical
unique to the tropics. We chose the citrus, Shekwasha to
support the main flavor of the juniper berry. The
compatibility of these two botanicals matched very well, G O YA F R U I T LONG PEPPER ROSELLE
and their synergy had maximized the quality of its flavour.
T H E B I T T E R N E S S T H AT THE TINGLING SPICINESS THE ELEGANT ROSE
The other four botanicals were also carefully selected T I G H T E N S T H E F L AV O U R AROMA AND REFRESHING
S O U R TA S T E
which are unique to Okinawa with comfortable tropical
flavour.
MARKETING

Media Attention Masahiro, Eternal Gin Producer – Pen

https://pen-online.com/food/masahiro-fournisseur-de-gin-eternel-2/
Masahiro Okinawa Gin – Recipe 01 has been
featured in many articles and blogs online.
Masahiro Okinawa Gin, A First for Japan’s Ryukyu Paradise – Nomunication
https://www.nomunication.jp/2017/11/10/masahiro-okinawa-gin-first-japans-ryukyu-paradise/

Japanese Artisanal Gin Is The Ultimate Distillation of the Country’s Local Produce - Saveur
https://www.saveur.com/japanese-gin-botanicals/
MARKETING

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