Gin Etsu or the secret recipe of Japan                                      [ENG]

Today we will make a second trip to Japan to introduce you to the famous Etsu Gin! It will be a must for those who worship the land of the rising sun while having a weakness for exotic flavors.

In the discovery we will see the origin, appearance, composition, and for the end, the tasting of this gin.

Origin 

Etsu Handcrafted Gin is made on the island of Hokkaido in Japan, a popular winter holiday destination because there is a lot of snow during the cold season. This gin is made in a traditional way with passion. The Japanese term "Etsu" means "pleasure", which clearly indicates what to expect when tasting gin. 

Japanese gin is a perfect fit for this trend, as Far Eastern manufacturers are taking a different perspective on clear spirits and using even more adventurous ingredients to flavour their products. 

 Appearance

Etsu Gin leaves no doubt that it is a Japanese product. A geisha and a lotus flower are present on the bottle (0. 7 liter/ 43% alcohol vol. ). In the background, there is also a sanctuary belonging to the natural religion Shinto, which is very widespread locally. Etsu Gin meets a high degree of aesthetics, both on the bottle and in the recipe. 

Composition 

Basically, gin is a white alcohol that is based on a neutral base. It is said to be neutral because its alcohol concentration is very high and it is almost impossible to detect, even for an expert, the basic ingredient that has been distilled. These are very often cereals or sometimes beetroot. 

What will give this spirit its personality is its aromatization. It is generally done by infusion. A mixture of plants, obviously containing the juniper berries (which must be in sufficient quantity for the aroma to be present in the mouth), is placed in the still above the base alcohol (which is mixed with water). The alcohol vapours will then infuse with this mixture, which can contain several dozen plants. 

The mixture of alcohol and flavours obtained from the still will then be mixed again with water to reach the desired degree of alcohol for bottling. 

But the recipe used for Etsu gin is top secret. Only experienced Japanese gin distillers can know which plants are actually used for production.

Tasting 

If you taste Etsu Handcrafted Gin, you can guess approximately the recipe. Juniper berries are of course present. There will also be green tea, vegetables and yuzu, as well as spicy Sancho pepper. The result is a very harmonious balance between bitterness and fruit, warmth and sweetness. 

It is recommended to taste this pure Japanese gin, in order to be able to distinguish the different shades. If you want to enhance the aroma of yuzu, you can mix Etsu with a strong yuzu tonic as well. To minimize the flavors revealed by the gin, prefer a light tonic. Japanese gin will also be an excellent base for extravagant cocktails. Use your senses and imagination!