135 East

135° East Hyogo Dry Gin is produced by Kaikyō Distillery, located in Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. This distillery was established in 2017 as part of the centennial celebration of the Yonezawa family's distilling tradition, which has been making sake since 1856 and distilling since 1917. The distillery's name, Kaikyō, is an homage to the Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge, which is located near the distillery.

135° East Hyogo Dry Gin is an artisan gin that combines the classic botanicals of the London Dry style (juniper, coriander, angelica) with five Japanese botanicals: yuzu, sanshō pepper, cedarwood, shiso leaf, and chrysanthemum. Each botanical ingredient is distilled separately, with the Japanese botanicals undergoing vacuum distillation, a technique used in perfumery to preserve delicate aromas. A drop of junmai sake distillate is also added to the final product, giving the gin a unique character.

The name of the gin, 135° East, refers to the 135th meridian of east longitude, which passes through the city of Akashi and was designated in 1888 as the basis for Japanese standard time. This name symbolises the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, which is also reflected in the gin itself, which combines traditional European and Japanese botanicals.

Kaikyō Distillery focuses on producing artisanal spirits that combine traditional techniques with innovation to create products with unique character and high quality.