THE HERBALIST YASO JIN

Jin Akanishi collaborated with Echigo Yakuso on THE HERBALIST YASO JIN, a 45% ABV dry ginDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins.

Citrus · Dry · Spicy · Herbal

Juniper is soaked in alcohol for a day before macerationMacerationBotanicals soak in alcohol, from a few hours to several days, before distillation to release their aromas.Glossary and distillation. Echigo Yakuso describes the result as both juicy and herbal, with a green aroma and a gentle sweetness from the juniper. Orange and lemon peels bring freshness; ginseng contributes a mild bitterness, while ginger and green pepper add a pointed, warming spice. Rosemary and thyme provide a green herbal note that carries through the finish. The recipe is dry in intent but layered in flavour.

The gin's base also connects it to the producer's wider work. Echigo Yakuso makes enzyme drinks and other products through fermentation, then distils the alcohol created in that process several times for use in spirits and liqueurs. The distillery's conversation with Akanishi about that method led to the collaboration. The finished gin combines this base with nine separately distilled botanicals, rather than treating the list as a single undifferentiated infusionInfusionFruit or plants are steeped in the spirit to release their flavour. Done after distillation, infusion often adds colour too, and the gin can no longer be called London Dry.Glossary. The method is particularly relevant to the balance between citrus, juniper and the more bitter or spicy ingredients.

A soda highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary is Akanishi's recommended serve. Soda lifts the orange and lemon aromas and leaves the juniper's juicy note and ginseng bitterness clear through the finish. For the Perfect ServePerfect serveThe way the producer recommends serving the gin (glass, tonic, ratio, garnish) to show it at its best.Glossary, a gin and tonic: fill a clear glass with ice, pour 5 cl of gin and 10 cl of Thomas Henry Botanical Tonic, stir gently once and add a fresh rosemary sprig, which repeats one of the herbs in the recipe; extra ginger or pepper is not needed. The gin's 45% strength also suits a simple Martini, with enough dilution to soften the spice while retaining its herbal and citrus detail.