[New Product] Craft Gin "naturadistill Shiso Hoppu Distillery" Made with Hops Harvested and Distilled Within One Hour of Picking, to Be Released on Wednesday, August 27, 2025
"A scent that crosses boundaries, adorned with a refreshing breeze" naturadistill Shiso Hop Distilled Liquor
This product uses two types of hops as its main botanicals: high-quality fresh hops from Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture, and CRYO hops, which condense lupulin, an aromatic component of hops.
For the fresh hops, we selected the "Centennial" variety, harvested in early August, which offers a fresh, green aroma and bitterness. The freshness of fresh hops is paramount, so we used freshly harvested hops within one hour of picking from the field. By preparing them in such a "fresh" state, we expressed an aroma reminiscent of a cool breeze blowing through a hop field.
For the CRYO hops, which are processed using a method that concentrates lupulin—the component responsible for the hop's aroma—four times more than regular hops, we chose the "Cascade" variety, a representative aroma hop known for its citrusy scent like grapefruit and orange. We fully brought out the refreshing aroma of Cascade.
The other botanical paired with the two types of hops is shiso (perilla) harvested in Aizu. Its rich aroma, which evokes the strength of the land, and its crisp coolness harmonize wonderfully with the citrus notes and bitterness of the hops.
Furthermore, we layered the aromas of lemongrass, reminiscent of fresh green grass, the endemic plant "kaya no mi" (Torreya nucifera fruit), which is one of our signature botanicals, and juniper berries, creating a refreshing and crisp taste.
With a single sip, a "summer landscape" unfolds before your eyes, like freshly mown grass, and a cool breeze passes through... This is the gin we created.
■Product Overview
Product name: naturadistill Shiso Hop Distilled Liquor
Volume: 500ml
Alcohol content: 47%
Base alcohol: Neutral spirits (sugar cane-derived)
Botanicals: Hops (fresh hops
Recommended serving: Mixed with grapefruit
Product type: Gin
Category: Spirits
Price: ¥5,500 (tax included)
Release date: August 27 (Wednesday)
A former beer brewer's "fusion of aromas" that crossed boundaries
Our representative, Oshima, previously worked at "Hop Japan Inc.," a beer company in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture. Now dedicated as a distiller, he was originally a brewer at the company, producing craft beer using self-cultivated hops.
This time, building on Oshima's experience at the beer company, he crossed over into the field of distillation and challenged himself to create a gin that maximizes the appeal of hops.
Rather than just using hops as an ingredient for beer, he meticulously focused on expressing the depth and breadth of hop bitterness and aroma by combining the knowledge of hops and the techniques for extracting aromas cultivated through beer brewing with our gin manufacturing technology and low-pressure distillation method.
Furthermore, we use high-quality hops carefully cultivated by hop farmers in Ogoe-cho, Tamura City, with whom we have had a relationship since his previous job. The distance from the distillery in Kawauchi Village to the hop field is only a 30-minute drive. Hops are prone to oxidation, so fresh hops are usually frozen. However, leveraging this advantageous location, we challenged ourselves to process the hops within one hour of harvesting from the field.
The tagline for the limited-edition gin "naturadistill Shiso Hop Distilled Liquor (Shiso Hop GIN)" is "A scent that crosses boundaries, adorned with a refreshing breeze." Hops, which are the main aromatic component of beer, are being utilized in a different realm, that of gin. The representative, who gained experience in the beer industry, brings his knowledge, experience, and connections from that time as he ventures into the gin industry. This embodies that sentiment.