Suntory Kanade Yuza Liqueur

Suntory Kanade Yuzu Liqueur is the first international expression of Kanáde — The House of Suntory's craft liqueur line — made from the juice, pulp, and peel of fully ripe Japanese yuzu fruit, soaked in alcohol for an extended period and then distilled. The US import is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), 700mL — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

Kanáde ("奏" — to play/perform music) launched in 2019 to give bartenders authentic Japanese flavors, built on over a century of Suntory craftsmanship and produced at the Yamazaki distillery in Osaka, Japan. Kanáde Yuzu was the line's first expression — followed by Matcha, Japanese Cherry Blossom, and Japanese White Peach — and the first to launch internationally, arriving in the US in April 2025 at a $33 SRP. Yuzu is an East Asian citrus with centuries of culinary tradition in Japan — tart like a grapefruit-lemon hybrid, with intensely aromatic peel and floral bitterness. The bottle carries the shippo (seven-treasures) pattern with a washi-paper label.

Tasting notes (per Master of Malt and the Barrel Tap): bright yuzu zest, lemon sherbet, grapefruit oils, delicate herbs, and a touch of blossom honey on the nose, with subtle bitterness and floral citrus oil; juicy and tart yuzu layered with gentle sweetness and faint herbal tones on the palate; a clean, zesty finish with a lingering citrus trail and soft bitterness.

Why buy this liqueur? Because it is the real thing — whole Japanese yuzu, soaked and distilled by the House of Suntory — not generic citrus flavoring, at a punchy 40% ABV that stands up in cocktails rather than disappearing into them. Browse the Suntory brand collection, more liqueurs, and other fine spirits.

Serving note: Suntory's signature serves — a White Lady with Roku gin and lemon juice, or the "Martin-ish" with Haku vodka; also a 25ml/25ml/25ml Cosmo Spritz (Haku vodka + Kanáde Yuzu + cranberry, topped with soda). Also excellent neat, over ice, or in a highball with soda water.

Is Suntory Kanáde Yuzu a liqueur or a gin/vodka? It's a citrus liqueur made from whole Japanese yuzu fruit (juice, pulp, and peel), bottled at 40% ABV in the US — punchy enough for cocktails but lighter than a straight spirit.

How is Kanáde Yuzu made? Ripe yuzu fruit — juice, pulp, and peel — is soaked in alcohol for an extended period and then distilled, a method Suntory says gives an extremely natural yuzu character rather than generic citrus sweetness.

What cocktails can I make with yuzu liqueur? Suntory's signatures are a White Lady (Roku gin, lemon juice, Kanáde Yuzu) and the Martin-ish (Haku vodka + Kanáde Yuzu); it also works in highballs, spritzes, and margaritas in place of triple sec.