Masahiro, the Distillery Reinventing Gin

Situated in the south of the Japanese archipelago, Okinawa Island is known for the impressive life expectancy of its residents that some have attributed to their regular consumption of goya, an extremely bitter, warty member of the Cucurbitaceae family.

Launched at the end of 2017 by the Masahiro distillery, which specialises in awamori (a close relation of shochu, a Japanese liqueur distilled from rice, barley, brown sugar, or sweet potato), Masahiro Okinawa Gin is the first gin to have been made on the island. Produced through a hybrid distillation process that is in some ways similar to the process used to make awamori, this gin is somewhat reminiscent of the former in terms of flavour.

With roselle (a species of hibiscus) flowers, guava leaves, long pepper, and, of course, goya, the elements comprising the aromatic base of this gin are all grown and sourced locally. Although the health benefits of distilled goya are still yet to be scientifically proven, this gin remains a curiosity with a subtropical flavour.

More information on Masahiro Okinawa Gin can be found on the distillery’s website.