Bottoms Up

Created from awamori, a beverage infused with six botanicals endemic to Okinawa, Masahiro Gin is poised to enchant the palate with every sip

The island of Okinawa has preserved its culture since the 15th century—a culture so distinct that it distinguishes itself as a separate entity from Japan. Its customs were built on bustling trade relations with China, Korea, and Southeast Asian countries during the Ryukyu era. This paved the way for Okinawa to produce its unique take on the Japanese alcoholic beverage sake, aptly called awamori, an indigenous beverage made from longgrain indica rice.

A brief history: awamori descended from LaoKhao, a well-known

Thai drink in the 15th century. The Okinawans refined its distillation to make it more suitable for the warm climate. During this time, Okinawa was then a major trading hub and intermediary between China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Awamori flourished as the drink of choice; thus, it was sent to powerful imperial kingdoms as a memento.

In 1883, Masahiro Shuzo Co., first named as Higa Brewery in Shuri, was successful in preserving the ancient techniques to produce awamori. Distillers were able to pass the recipes, ingredients, and traditions from generation to generation. At the height of World War II, as distilleries were shutting down, Masahiro stood ground and instead became peripatetic for decades. In

1991, Masahiro established its permanent headquarters in Nishizaki Itoman to commemorate its centennial celebration.

Higa Masayasu, a 7th generation distiller and the head of Masahiro Shuzo Co., tinkered with the idea that infusing awamori with native botanicals would result in a craft gin. He concocted juniper berries (the only requirement to make gin), guava leaves, long pepper, roselle (a type of hibiscus), goya (a type of melon), and shekwasha (a green citrus fruit endemic to Okinawa and Taiwan). This experiment gave birth to

Masahiro Gin.

The life of any gin begins as a neutral-grain based spirit, but in the case of Masahiro Gin, it starts as awamori. It is essentially pure ethanol, and the flavours are added through the process of distillation. Masahiro uses a column still—a machine that continuously distills the ingredients until it reaches the desired alcohol percentage of 47 per cent to capture the flavour of the gin. Then it goes straight to the bottle and is packaged for consumption.

Masahiro implements strict quality procedures. ISO certified, the distillery monitors critical control points to ensure that each batch undergoes rigorous testing.

A FINER TASTE

Filipinos have a history with gin since the 1800s, long-considered a favourite for leisure-drinking.

Now, the Philippines is the largest gin market in the world, accounting for 43 per cent of gin sales worldwide. It is also the fastest growing alcohol market, according to a report from the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) group, the leading source of data and intelligence on the alcoholic beverage market.

“As our per capita improves, so do our tastes. This laid the groundwork for the resurgence of cocktail culture and made the way for other products to come here,” explains Taggart Siao, general manager of Haotei Corporation, the distributor of Masahiro Gin in the Philippines. “Masahiro Gin’s arrival is a game changer since we were drinking the same brands. Given our history, I do believe that the gin is already suited to the Filipino palate.”

Siao wants to create an authentic connection among consumers, to make them feel they have a stake in Masahiro Gin. “I want them to have that sense of belonging rather than telling them that the product is good,” he says. “Instead of saying ‘ Hey, we’re here,’ I want Filipinos to discover for themselves what we have to offer: the true taste of an Okinawan gin.”