Already a household name in the Okinawan traditional distilled sake industry, Masahiro Shuzo Brewery ventures into craft gin—the first in Okinawa—and finally launches it in Manila
Smooth, aromatic, and refreshing, the intriguing Okinawa Gin from the Masahiro distillery is crafted by applying the brewing techniques typically used for ryukyu awamori (Okinawan traditional distilled sake) and by utilising ingredients endemic to Okinawa.
"When we began brewing gin, we started by studying the historical background, brewing methods, and the botanical flavours that identify gin," Masahiro Shuzo Brewery 7th generation distiller Higa Masayasu said. "Through trial and error, we persisted to keep two policies (awamori and gin) which are focused on using local ingredients and utilising the awamori distillation methods effectively."
Unlike gin's common continuous distillation machine, the awamori method uses a single distillation machine. By using both the vertical and horizontal types of single distillation machines, Masahiro Brewery has succeeded in producing unique and original awamori products. They then studied Holland's brewing methods as it also uses single distillation machines, this then led to their gin venture.
During its official launch in Manila at 205 in Bonifacio High Street, Higa explained Masahiro Okinawa Gin's brewing method: "First to establish a base malt with botanical flavour, we used the vertical distillation machine (which uses a direct heating method) to brew a base malt with dry straight taste. Next, after marinating the botanicals into the base malt by using the small horizontal distillation machine (which uses a indirect heating method) for a second distillation, we succeeded in creating a refined, rich-tasting gin. Through our long cultivated distillation skills, we succeeded in establishing our original brewing method by utilising the characteristics of the two different machines."
