Etsu Japanese Gin
Etsu Japanese Gin — "etsu" means "pleasure" in Japanese — is a 43% ABV (86 proof) gin distilled at the Asahikawa Distillery on Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, 750mL. Botanicals are macerated for 22 hours, distilled in a swan-neck copper still, and cut with water from the Taisetsu Mountains. The official botanical bill — yuzu peel, green bitter orange peel, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root, angelica root — gives it a bright, citrus-led Japanese character. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Distillery: Asahikawa Distillery, Hokkaido, Japan; Taisetsu Mountain water
- Botanicals (official): Yuzu peel, green bitter orange peel, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root, angelica root — macerated 22 hours
- Production: Neutral cane spirit base, swan-neck copper still, charcoal-filtered
- Meaning: "Etsu" = pleasure in Japanese; "born from an ancestral recipe" per the brand
Pleasure, Distilled on Japan's Northern Island
Hokkaido's Asahikawa Distillery sits in the shadow of the Taisetsu Mountains, and Etsu is built from that place: mountain water for proofing, yuzu and bitter orange for brightness, a 22-hour maceration before the copper still does its work. The result is gin with a distinctly Japanese accent — citrus-led rather than pine-led, silky rather than austere. It's the bottle that shows why Japanese gin became a global category. Discover more Japanese and craft gin and the Etsu range.
Tasting Notes
Floral and vegetal on the nose with persistent citrus and yuzu. The palate is fresh and well-balanced — peppery, with green-tea and berry hints and a rounded, supple, silky texture. The finish runs to sansho-like pepper and closes on yuzu (importer/trade descriptors; tea and sansho are tasting notes, not botanicals).
How to Enjoy
A Gin & Tonic with a yuzu or lemon twist is the natural serve — the citrus botanicals sing with tonic. It also makes a delicate Martini; keep the vermouth light so the yuzu leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Etsu Gin made?
At the Asahikawa Distillery on Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, using water from the Taisetsu Mountains.
What botanicals are in Etsu Japanese Gin?
The official list: yuzu peel, green bitter orange peel, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root, and angelica root. Green tea sometimes appears in retail copy, but the brand's official botanical list does not include it.
What does "Etsu" mean?
"Etsu" means "pleasure" in Japanese — the brand describes the gin as born from an ancestral recipe.
From Hokkaido with yuzu — order Etsu Japanese Gin online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.