Matsui The Hakuto Gin

Matsui The Hakuto Gin distills 14 Japanese botanicals — led by nashi pear, the signature fruit of Tottori Prefecture — into a distinctly Japanese gin at 47% ABV (700mL), made at Kurayoshi Distillery on Honshu's Sea of Japan coast. The botanicals are macerated in neutral spirit and distilled in a Portuguese alembic pot still, then proofed with soft spring water filtered through the volcanic stone of Mount Daisen. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• ABV: 47% (94 proof) — 700mL
• Botanicals: 14 total — nashi pear, juniper, coriander, orange and yuzu peels, Japanese sansho pepper, gyokuro green tea, sakura (cherry blossom), black pepper and more
• Process: macerated botanicals distilled in a Portuguese alembic pot still; proofed with Mount Daisen spring water
• Origin: Kurayoshi Distillery, Tottori, Japan — Matsui Shuzo, distilling since 1910 (whisky/gins from 2017)
• Recognition: World Gin Awards Gold 2022, IWSC Silver 2021 (Hakuto line)

The White Rabbit of Tottori

"Hakuto" means white rabbit — a nod to the Hare of Inaba, the local Tottori legend of Japan's first love story. Where London Dry leans on juniper, Hakuto builds a floral, fruit-led Japanese profile around nashi pear, with yuzu peel, sansho pepper, and gyokuro tea giving it a peppery-green lift you won't find in Western gin. It's the same house behind Matsui's Japanese whiskies, made with the same Mount Daisen water. See more from Matsui or explore the gin shelf.

Tasting Notes

Wet pine bough, cherry blossom, candied lemon peel, and fresh nashi pear on the nose; a structured mid-palate of pink and sansho peppercorn softened by underripe pear flesh, green apple, and green tea, with well-integrated juniper and cedar; a clean finish of citrus and refreshing pepper (per the importer's notes).

How to Enjoy

Serve in a gin and tonic with a lemon twist — the citrus botanicals bloom in tonic. It also makes a distinctly Japanese Martini with a dry vermouth, or a highball-style gin soda over ice with a shiso or yuzu garnish if you can find one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What botanicals are in Matsui Hakuto Gin?
Fourteen Japanese botanicals including nashi pear, yuzu peel, Japanese sansho pepper, gyokuro green tea, and sakura, distilled in a Portuguese alembic pot still in Tottori.

What does "Hakuto" mean?
"White rabbit" — it references the Hare of Inaba, a local Tottori legend of Japan's first love story.

Who makes Matsui Hakuto Gin?
Matsui Shuzo at Kurayoshi Distillery in Tottori, Japan — a 1910-founded distiller (shochu/sake roots) that began whisky and gin distillation in 2017, proofing everything with Mount Daisen spring water.

A Japanese gin built around nashi pear — order Matsui Hakuto Gin online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.