Hello, this is Sugikawa, YASO distiller.
YASO has just completed and moved into its new distillery “Echigo Yakuso Distillery” next to the head office.
Next, preparations are underway for the opening ceremony in October.
The third floor of the new distillery also has a restaurant where you can enjoy pairing recipes.

Now, September’s Limited Edition is a “Lavender” gin.
Lavender, which has been very popular in non-alcoholic YASO gin, is finally available in a limited gin this time.
This is also the first distilled Lavender gin since moving to the new distillery.

The lavender we used was harvested from “Lavender Monogatari”, a lavender grower in Konan-ku, Niigata City.
The lavender is grown here in order to make effective use of a fallow field where strawberries used to be grown.
We contacted Lavender Story at the beginning of June.
Mr. Maki, the representative of the company, was interested in this gin made from enzyme drink, which is one of the main products of Echigo Yakuso, and he kindly agreed. Thank you very much.

Yes, that means the September Limited is a
Lavender gin, a cross between “lavender made from fallow land” and “gin made from the by-product alcohol.”
It is a product that is full of some very exciting possibilities, don’t you think?

It was a hot, sunny day in early July when I went to harvest.
As we parked our car by a lavender-colored field, which could be recognized from a distance, and got out, we could smell the soft aroma of lavender in the air.
I was told that the lavender here is processed into aroma oil and sold as such.
We greeted them and learned from them as we harvested the lavender.

While we were harvesting, we heard the buzzing of the bees as they sucked the nectar, and large spiders were building nests around them, perhaps in search of the honey.
The harvesting work was a natural experience, and I was sure that this must be a good feeding ground.
When I asked him about it, he told me that when he harvests, he leaves a little bit of the flowers for bees to feed on.
I thought to myself, “I see.” So I harvested, leaving a little flower at a time.

And lavender’s fragrance changes depending on the environment of the land where it grows.
Lavender is characterized by its ability to grow even in dry and harsh land.
Niigata Lavender Monogatari has lavender fields in Niigata City and Tokamachi City, and the fragrance differs depending on the field.
It is true that the same plant grows differently in different environments, so it is not surprising that the fragrance is different.
I really want to go to Tokamachi next year to harvest lavender…

I was told that such lavender also has an interesting song, a passage from Arabian Nights.

“Oh, how happy I am!
Not one of those and those and those flowers that adorn the flower beds.
I have no care to be plucked by lowly hands.
And I don’t have to worry about being bothered by idle chatter.
Unlike various other plants, my sisters.
Nature has allowed me to grow far from the stream.
I do not like cultivated and civilized land.
I am a wild thing, far from the world of man.
In the wilderness and solitude I remain.
Because I do not like to mix with the crowd. —-.
Freedom, I am free! “

…What a powerful, civilization-pushing, solitude-loving song…
Indeed, when you look at lavender growing wild, asserting itself in that harsh environment, strong and straight, with that strong fragrance, is this exactly the image you have in mind?

…I’m sorry I picked it with some kind of lowly hand. I’m sorry I picked it with such a lowly hand.
I started distilling, hoping to make it into a delicious gin that would be as easy to drink alone as lavender is for those who love solitude.

Once harvested, lavender is separated into flowers and stems and stored.
During distillation, part of the stems and flowers are soaked in spirits to give off a soft, sweet lavender aroma, while the remaining flowers are basket distilled to maximize the aroma.
When macerated, the stems have a soft, sweet cherry-like aroma with a mild green fragrance.
The flowers have a gorgeous, oily, slightly citrusy aroma that is typical of lavender.
We aimed to create a lavender-scented zin that would have the aroma of not only the flowers, but also the stems.

And the base gin is also formulated differently than usual.
We have adjusted the blend of herbs and spices to complement the lavender aroma.
We have created a gin base that enhances the gorgeous aroma.

And this Limited Ed.09 is also the first debut of Yamada and Sugikawa, who joined us last year as distillers, and who did everything from planning, to finding botanical growers, harvesting, creating recipes, and distilling.
As we always say, we are truly thrilled to be sending off our own children.
It was the first distillation at the new Echigo Yakuso Distillery and the debut of Yamada and myself.
I can’t help but be thrilled…

The coming season is gradually getting cooler.
Please enjoy the healing time with the softly wafting sweet scent of lavender.
Limeted Ed.09 “Lavender” will go on sale on September 15 (Thursday).

Please pray that this GIN will be loved by everyone.