Izakaya Gin

Japanese red shiso and makrut lime leaf give Izakaya Gin a savoury citrus direction designed with food and cocktails in mind. Produced in Golden, Colorado, this 47% ABV gin combines delicate juniper with imported red shiso, makrut lime leaves and a smaller contribution from Persian black lime. Fresh leaf, dried citrus and a gently minty herbal note meet within the same concise recipe.

Citrus · Dry · Herbal

Shiso supplies the central green character. Its red variety can suggest mint, basil and mild spice without copying any one of them exactly. Makrut lime leaf brings an intense, lifted lime fragrance, while black lime adds a darker, drier and more savoury citrus depth. Juniper remains restrained but essential, giving the leaves and limes a resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary line that keeps the result within the shape of gin.

The nose opens on makrut lime and fresh shiso, bright but distinctly herbal. In the mouth, black lime gives the citrus more weight and a lightly savoury edge. Shiso then brings the mint-like freshness noted by the distillery, while juniper stays underneath rather than pushing to the front. The finish is dry, green and lime-led, with the 47% strength carrying the leaves clearly through cocktails and chilled dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary.

Method & Muse presents Izakaya as a sipping gin for Asian food and recommends it in a dirty MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary or gin mojito. A long drink with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary, a fresh shiso leaf and a thin lime wheel keeps the same logic. The garnish reinforces the recipe’s green citrus character, while the neutral tonic allows black lime’s savoury depth to remain visible beneath the fresher leaf aromas.