The Ethical Spirits & Co. Ayumu Yamaguchi "Sake that is not only delicious" VOL.2

Ethical Spirits Co., Ltd. reuses sake lees, which is basically discarded, to produce a new craft gin, LAST . Continuing from the last time, we interviewed Mr. Ayumu Yamaguchi, the representative director and chief brewer of Ethical Spirits . This time, we will delve into the concept of ethical spirits and our commitment to taste!

Click here for the previous Vol.1 article

-What are the characteristics of ethical spirits?

Our biggest feature is the taste concept of "drinkable perfume" . It's a feature of my recipe, but it has a strong flavor and a taste that can't be beaten even if you mix it with various things .

However, I think that it is very important not only the concept of taste, but also “why we do it” .

Most of the sake breweries in Japan throw away the valuable sake lees as industrial waste, and they have to throw away beer that has passed its expiration date. The concept of ethical spirits is to make use of such things to create and sell delicious products that convince people, and to return part of the sales.

If it was a craft gin "REVIVE" made by distilling beer, the sales would be a donation to help those affected by the corona disaster.
With LAST, which distills sake lees, the sake brewery can use very good rice to make good sake, and give life to the part that has finished squeezing.

▲Mr. Yamaguchi, who makes craft gin at a sake brewery.

-Please tell us what you are particular about for each product.

The ethical spirits currently on sale are “MODEST” and “ELEGANT” from the “LAST” series derived from sake lees, and “REVIVE” derived from beer.

The two concepts of "LAST" are "drinkable perfumes". It contains more botanicals than regular gin. It is characterized by the freshness derived from the botanical. What can be said in common to the two types is that they use shochu distilled from the sake lees of Nagano Miyasaka Brewery, which brews the Masumi brand of sake. The characteristic of this shochu is that it has a straightforward aroma, a refreshing feeling of alcohol, and a refreshing feeling like grass and trees.

"MODEST" is a refreshing finish that makes use of this feature . I finished it with a masculine feel . In order to incorporate the desired scent, we distill it in two batches using different methods, and we are particular about bringing out the goodness of botanicals and blending.

For "ELEGANT" , I aimed for something gorgeous and fragrant that I think . Ideally, “rather than having a particular scent that stands out, it’s a gin that blends together a variety of scents and you don’t know what it is, but it smells good.” It's one of my favorites, and there are many gins that are acclaimed around the world.
It's a recipe that I personally found from my experience making non-alcoholic gin, and it's a unique recipe made by blending the botanicals that I like in an appropriate amount. I didn't think about anything in a good way, or rather, I was allowed to do what I wanted. In the end, I ended up with a scent that resembles a lustrous perfume that women would use .

"REVIVE" is a distilled Budweiser . First of all, I heard that distilling beer is quite difficult. It seems that there are only a few cases in Japan so far. Distilling while preserving the characteristics of the beer is difficult, and the amount of gin that can be made from beer with a low alcohol content is also small.
This time, we wanted to bring out the aroma of the barley and ensure a high yield, so we distilled it twice under normal pressure. It's a special manufacturing method that adds 4 types of botanicals, beer and brown sugar. It has a refined taste and a sweet scent.
Considering the PR of Budweiser itself, we also use hops and beech trees while respecting the manufacturing method and background.

Ethical spirits give life to things that were supposed to be discarded and circulate them to create new value. The sake that is made in this way is full of Mr. Yamaguchi's attention to detail, and you can enjoy the scent that is suitable for the concept of "perfume to drink". How about trying the ethical spirits products, which are innovative in manufacturing methods, principles, and even fragrances?

"MODEST" and "ELEGANT" from the "LAST" series are also available at the Mirai Nihonshuten online store.

Also, Ethical Spirits is currently trying to crowdfund with the goal of building a distillery in Kuramae, Tokyo! Click here for details