Roku Gin has launched in Australia through The Spirit of Roku, a fully immersive tasting experience held at Lower Town Hall Sydney.
Meaning six in Japanese, Roku is The House of Suntory’s first Japanese craft gin and is themed around the number, from the traditional Japanese botanicals incorporated in the blend, to the bottle cast in a hexagonal shape, and the inclusion of the kanji symbol in the label.
Kazuyuki Torii, Suntory Senior Specialist for Gin and Spirits introduced guests to Roku Gin, its botanicals and the method of production. Sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sansho pepper are individually distilled then blended with the eight traditional gin botanicals (juniper berry, coriander seeds, angelica root, angelica seed, cardamom seed, cinnamon, bitter orange peel and lemon peel) to create Roku’s unique flavour.
The launch event was created around the changing of the seasons where guests were transported into the spirit and nature of Japan, as they navigated their way through a series of sensory experiences based on the six traditional Japanese botanicals incorporated in the blend. These included a Japanese tea room with sencha tea and gyokuro tea, a yakitori bar with the flavours of sansho pepper, the scents of yuzu in an onsen, the beauty of the sakura flower and a tasting of the Yuzu and sakura distillates followed by a tasting of Roku Gin neat.
The event rounded off with Roku’s signature gin and tonic with slices of fresh ginger served in the a traditional Japanese hospitality ritual (Omotenashi).
This article was originally published on August 27, 2018 on our sister website Gourmantic.
