Kinobi Gin 70cl

Ki No Bi means "the beauty of the seasons", and the gin is built to earn the name. It comes from The Kyoto Distillery, which opened in 2016 as the first place in Japan built solely to make gin — in a city that had spent four centuries making sake instead.

Two decisions separate it from a London Dry. The base is rice spirit rather than neutral grain, which gives the gin a softer, faintly sweet weight before a single botanical goes near it. And the water comes from a well in Fushimi, the sake district in the south of the city, where the brewers have drawn on the same soft water for generations.

The botanicals are no secret. There are eleven, sorted into six elements: Base, Citrus, Tea, Herbal, Spice, and Fruity & Floral. Juniper, orris and hinoki cypress make the base. Yellow yuzu from the north of Kyoto Prefecture carries the citrus, gyokuro from Uji does the tea, bamboo and red shiso the herbal, green sansho the spice, sakura flower and leaf the last. Each element is macerated and distilled separately, then the six are blended — which is why nothing in the glass collides.

Yuzu arrives first, bright and a little floral, then the cypress comes through as something cool and resinous. The gyokuro brings a green, faintly bitter depth through the middle, and the sansho leaves that mild tingle on the lip. At 45.7% it has real presence, yet it stays composed.

How to Serve

Make a Martini with it — stirred, very cold, a lemon twist, and nothing heavier than a dry vermouth. The rice base gives it the texture to stand up without dilution hiding it. With tonic, choose a light one and a slice of grapefruit.

Where to Drink It

The Connaught Bar for a Martini made with the precision this gin asks for. Artesian at The Langham, where someone will happily talk you through the six elements. Dukes Bar in St James's for the coldest, driest version of the drink.

Food Pairings

Tempura, prawn or aubergine, with plenty of salt — the batter's fat against the yuzu is the classic move, and the sansho survives it. Chilled tofu with ginger and spring onion is the quieter option.