135° East Hyōgo Dry Gin

The 135 East takes its name from the meridian that runs through Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture, and its spirit from the Taisho era, when Japanese and Western culture freely mingled. At Kaikyo Distillery, Kimio Yonezawa considered the character of over fifty botanicals before settling on three traditional European ones and five uniquely Japanese, each sourced from small local specialists and distilled separately to protect its voice before the final blend.

The nose is bold and floral with clear citrus; the palate is silky and balanced, citrus and bitter floral notes giving way to a building hum of sansho pepper. The finish is long, warm and peppery. Serve in a gin and tonic with a citrus twist, letting the sansho prickle play against the bubbles.