Kanazawa Emerges as Premier Craft Gin Destination Through Local Innovation and Heritage

Kanazawa, renowned for its Samurai legacy and artisanal traditions, is establishing itself as a premier destination for craft gin production, leveraging its unique geographical advantages and rich cultural heritage. The city's transformation into a gin hub is driven by its pristine water sources, fed by Mount Hakusan's spring water and supported by an intricate network of canals that have historically nurtured sake brewing since the Samurai era.

Leading this movement are two prominent industry players: Alembic and Oriental Brewing. These boutique distillers combine time-honored methods with modern innovation, incorporating select botanicals—many locally sourced—to reshape the gin-making landscape. Their approach not only highlights Kanazawa's natural resources but also demonstrates how traditional practices can evolve to meet contemporary tastes.

Alembic, Kanazawa's first spirits distillery located in the historic port town of Ono, has gained recognition for its flagship Alembic Dry Gin HACHIBAN. Crafted with eight botanicals including local ingredients and extra juniper berries, this gin delivers fresh grapefruit-like citrus notes and complex flavor layers, earning a Gold Medal at the IWSC 2023. The distillery pursues innovative gin-making rooted in the local community, producing small-batch releases aged in Portuguese Madeira wine casks—a rare practice in Japan—with future plans for original casks made from Ishikawa-grown wood.

Oriental Brewing, one of Kanazawa's leading craft beer breweries, applies its brewing expertise to create distinctive gin varieties. Using carefully selected local ingredients such as Kanazawa yuzu, Kaga bōcha (roasted stem tea), and kuromoji, the brewery has pioneered the upcycling of sake rice bran—typically discarded during sake production—through advanced distillation techniques. This process results in blanc, a craft gin with subtle, natural sweetness derived from the rice, showcasing sustainable practices and resource efficiency.

Kanazawa's emergence as a gin destination is further fueled by its enviable location between the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps, which provides access to diverse botanicals and pristine mountain water. Visitors and gin enthusiasts can now enjoy enhanced experiences, including meetings with master distillers, guided tastings paired with fresh local cuisine, and access to exclusive limited releases unavailable elsewhere. For more information about the region's offerings, visit https://www.ishikawatravel.jp/en.

The implications of Kanazawa's gin revolution extend beyond local tourism, potentially influencing global craft spirits trends by demonstrating how regional heritage and environmental assets can drive innovation. This development positions Kanazawa as a model for other traditional regions seeking to revitalize their cultural industries through modern applications of ancient practices, creating economic opportunities while preserving historical identity.