Akita craft gin Gin, scented with kuromoji, wins gold

Kodama Brewing, based in Katagami, Akita Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast in north-eastern Japan, released “Akita Craft Gin Gin No.65” (pronounced “gin”, written 岑) on 16 June 2026 in a limited run of 3,000 bottles. It is a craft gin that puts woodland plants at the heart of its aroma. In May the same year, it won a gold medal, the rank just below the top gold award, at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC), one of Japan’s largest spirits competitions. The company has been making this gin for four years, and this is its second gold, three years after the first.

The star of the aroma: kuromoji, a tree of Japan’s forests

The defining feature of Gin is that, alongside juniper, its main botanical, which shapes the aroma, is kuromoji grown in Akita Prefecture. Kuromoji is a deciduous shrub of the laurel family that grows wild in Japan’s mountains, and its twigs carry a fresh, citrus-like scent. The water used to dilute the gin to bottling strength is also local: birch sap. The result, we are told, is a fresh, forest-like flavour with a gentle sweetness.

The reporter who tasted it drank it with soda, as the makers recommend, and noted a citrus freshness and an elegant botanical aroma. The manager of the brewery’s direct-sales shop says it goes easily with food and suits any occasion.

The concept of giving back to the mountains

The makers’ idea is to use the bounty of Akita’s mountains and to enjoy the drink while giving that bounty back to them. Part of the proceeds goes to forest conservation, including tree planting. Gin is made each year in limited quantities and sold at the brewery’s shop, at liquor stores in the prefecture and online. It is said to sell out every year.

How to enjoy it in Europe

Production is small, at 3,000 bottles a year, so finding Gin itself in Europe is not easy. Even so, more and more Japanese craft gins use distinctly Japanese botanicals such as yuzu, sansho pepper and kuromoji, so it is worth looking for the word “kuromoji” in specialist shops. When drinking, follow the makers and mix it with well-chilled soda, which brings out the aroma. Birch sap is a familiar ingredient in Northern and Eastern Europe, so comparing the two could be fun. This is a bottle to watch in international competition results.