Summer is that one season where at any given opportunity we meet friends for a drink after work, we have regular BBQ’s in the back garden, and we spend hours in the local beer garden enjoying the late evening sunshine. We are also a nation of gin drinkers and this is the perfect time of year to try a few new gin cocktails!

#TeamCoco are always ahead of the game when it comes to new trends, and the gin trend is still taking the world by storm, and we are seriously excited to find out about ROKU gin from Japan being added into the world gin mix.

ROKU, which means ‘six’ in Japanese, is carefully crafted by Japanese artisans using six botanicals that can only be found in Japan. Each botanical has been harvested at the peak of its season to extract the best flavour, and distilled to fully embody the blessings of nature.

Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Yuzu peel, Sencha tea (green tea), Gyokuro tea (refined green tea) and Sanshō pepper are the six Japanese botanicals cultivated over four seasons to create ROKU.

Eight traditional botanicals are then added to create the authentic gin taste, such as juniper berries, coriander, angelica seed and root, cinnamon, cardamom, bitter orange, and lemon peel.

The Torii Shoten Store, the predecessor of Suntory, opened in 1899 as a result of the dream of Shinjiro Torii, who at the age of 20 wanted to “create original Japanese Spirits the whole world can enjoy, uniquely made from Japan’s nature and her people.” Shinjiro launched Hermes Gin – the first Suntory gin – in 1936. The creation and perfection of ROKU are based on more than 100 years of expertise.

ROKU is produced in the “Liquor Atelier”, the specialised craft distillery for Suntory spirits and liquor. The Atelier owns four distinct types of pot stills and, in a process unique to ROKU, the botanicals are distilled separately according to each feature of botanicals to extract the best flavour and maintain their individual characteristics.

Here are a few delish cocktails to make at home. Simply buy the ingredients from your local Waitrose (or other supermarket/independent store), and hey presto you will be able to enjoy the taste of Japanese gin this summer.

ROKU Sour

• 50ml Roku
• 10ml Jasmine tea (chilled)
• 20ml Lemon Juice
• 10ml Ginger syrup
• 25ml Egg White
Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Seal and dry shake. Fill shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupette. Garnish with a ginger slice.

ROKU & Tonic

• 25ml Roku
• Approx. 70ml Tonic
Pour measure into a Hi-Ball. Fill glass with ice. Lengthen with Tonic. Top with more ice if necessary. Stir once and garnish with a ginger slice.

ROKU & ‘T’
• 50ml Roku
• 50ml Jasmine Tea (chilled)
• Approx 50ml Tonic
Build all measured ingredients in glass. Fill with ice. Lengthen with Tonic. Stir once and Garnish with lemon peel.

ROKU Authentic Japanese Gin priced at £30 per bottle, available from Waitrose stores UK wide. Drink responsibly.

Author

A veteran in global travel, Rachel also loves to explore hidden gems on home turf. She’s a writing connoisseur of Britain’s best hotels, luxury beauty products, and UK food and drink launches.

Comments are closed.