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Meet Wabi Sabi Sakura Edition Gin!
Apr 12, 2024
Discover Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin, Craft Gin Club's April 2024 Gin of the Month, from Wabi Sabi Gin in Japan.
In this fabulous feature, we are taking you through how this incredible Japanese gin is made and giving you the best Wabi Sabi gin serving suggestions, plus so much more.
Scroll down to reveal everything you need to know about the star of Craft Gin Club's April 2024 Gin of the Month box.
Wabi Sabi Sakura
Launched in the UK exclusively through Craft Gin Club
40% ABV
How is Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin made?
The Wabi Sabi Gin team: Thomas Brayman, Wakae Kihara and Jérôme Quilbeuf
Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin comes from the husband-and-wife team Wakae Kihara and Tom Brayman along with chef Jérôme Quilbeuf - the amazing team behind the Wabi Sabi Gin brand.
They set out to create a craft spirit that truly showcases the best that Japan has to offer and they certainly succeeded with both their original edition and the Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin Craft Gin Clubbers can find in their April Gin of the Month box.
The Sakura edition is made using sakura (Japanese cherry blossoms), rose geranium and a blend of woody herbs like rosemary, thyme and bay, which are all distilled together to produce a spirit that's floral and rich with herbaceous tones.
I wanted the Wabi Sabi brand to be bold in terms of flavours and represent Japan in a way that was different to what was already out there. I wanted it to have an ‘in your face’ quality that would be immediately identifiable.
Wakae Kihara, Wabi Sabi Gin co-founder
What does "Wabi Sabi" mean?
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept rooted in the idea of finding the beauty of imperfection, particularly in nature. It is not only a philosophy and a design style but also a feeling.
Wabi-sabi is the ideal name for a craft gin as every batch is slightly different but no less delicious. Obviously, we try to strive to have quality consistency, but the product is inevitably going to change from production to production due to the seasonal nature of the botanicals. That reflects the wabi-sabi concept. We are striving to match our botanicals’ seasonality to create seasonal variants of our original Wabi Sabi Gin.
Tom Brayman, Wabi Sabi Gin co-founder
This idea of appreciating the beauty of the natural world and the seasons as they change, knowing it will soon be gone, is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. The sakura or cherry blossoms that Japan is famous for reflect this idea of fleeting beauty, where the flowers last for only a week.
What does Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin taste like?
Fragrant and inviting aromas of Japanese cherry blossom are joined by earthy juniper tones on the nose.
On the palate, those luscious floral flavours are complemented by hints of mint and warm, woody herbs like thyme and bay.
This finish is long and aromatic yet delicate and wonderfully moreish.
How do you serve Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin?
The experts at Craft Gin Club have done lots of testing and have come up with the perfect tonic water and garnish to pair with Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin: The Artisan Drinks Co. Yuzu Tokyo Tonic and slices of kumquat.
The citrusy, Tokyo-inspired tonic water has unique yuzu flavours and touches black pepper and coriander, all of which work incredibly well with the floral and herb notes of the Wabi Sabi gin. The kumquat then adds its own juicy fragrance that takes this Japanese G&T to the next level.
Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin is also fantastic in cocktails like Craft Gin Club's Cherry Blossom.
This mouthwatering spring cocktail brings Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin together with Dalston's Cherry Soda and Craft Gin Club's bespoke Cherry Blossom Cocktail Syrup, which is brimming with sweet floral and citrus flavours.
All combined, they make a bubbly pink cocktail that's fruity, floral and citrusy in all of the right places.
Where can I buy Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin?
Wabi Sabi Sakura Gin is only available in the UK on the Craft Gin Club online shop here or as part of Craft Gin Club's April 2024 Gin of the Month box.
To find out more about Craft Gin Club's April 2024 Gin of the Month box head to this link.
