Can you taste that? Keiyu's quest for the perfect gin

Keiyu came to New Zealand specifically to study a Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln. Now he is conducting the final few pieces of research to get his work ready for publication.

Gin is made by distilling different botanicals, such as the classic juniper berry, and creating a delicate combination of their flavours. Almost all gin producers distil their botanicals in one big batch, as it’s the most efficient way to make gin.

Keiyu’s gin is different. He’s distilled each of his five botanicals individually, then combined them. This method is called single-botanical distillation. It helps retain the delicate flavours, but takes five times as long. It’s a method used only by a few luxury gin producers around the world.

“Some botanicals need more specific distillation conditions than others for the ideal fragrance and flavour. Using one-batch distillation you have to ignore some of that.”

At present the difference between his resource-intensive quintuple-distilled gin is barely noticeable compared to a bottle of one-batch gin. That’s why this week Keiyu held a pair of gin tasting sessions, inviting staff and students from around the university to try his creations.

Keiyu made 17 different blends. Each tester was served six. The proportion of botanicals in each sample could range hugely, such as 70% juniper berries in one and 20% in another.  

“The biggest challenge to creating gin with single-botanical distillation is identifying the ideal mixture proportions.”

To ensure tester’s senses were unintruded, each sample came in an opaque black glass, which stopped people from judging it based on colour, and a plastic topper to catch any stray aromas. After smelling and tasting each gin, testers had to rate the sample and tick all the attributes they identified in each sample, such as “smooth”, “bitter” and “tingling”.

By combining all the data, Keiyu can figure out which blend tastes the best to most people, taking full advantage of the single-botanical distillation method.

Keiyu has a deep love for drinks. He worked at Kirin Brewery for nine years before moving to Coca-Cola. He was engaged and enjoying the marketing field within the industry, however, he began to feel there was something more he wanted to achieve.

“My career in Japan was incredibly fortunate, and as a marketer, I was given some truly amazing experiences that couldn’t have been better. But I found myself strongly wanting to contribute to my hometown with my own products.”

Keiyu dreams of owning a distillery in his hometown of Aomori. It’s a small city on the tip of Honshu, Japan’s main and largest island.

To do that, he had to learn how to actually make gin. Keiyu enrolled at Lincoln and travelled to New Zealand. Once here, he got a job at a local distillery, The Spirit’s Workshop Distillery in Christchurch. It produces the award-winning Curiosity Gin.

Keiyu works there in marketing part- time, but has been supported in his studies by his colleagues at the distillery. The gin Keiyu produced for the tests was based off a recipe from his workplace.

Although Keiyu wants to take his knowledge back home, he also aims to introduce single-botanical distilled gin to New Zealand. Although it’s resource-intensive, Keiyu believes there is potential to create tastier, more unique gin.

“From a marketing perspective, consumers may feel a stronger sense of craftsmanship and develop a more favourable impression.

“The dedication to meticulous blending is something that resonates with the tradition of Japanese whisky, which has gained recognition worldwide.

“I hope the New Zealand consumer will find this very attractive in the future. As far as I know, there’s no commercial gin with this single-botanical distillation method in New Zealand. This new process will give another option to the New Zealand consumer.”