History & Origins
The story of KI NO BI began in 2014 with the creation of The Kyoto Distillery by Noriko Kakuda Croll, David Croll, and Marcin Miller. Though young, its roots trace back to decades of passion for artisanal spirits and Japanese refinement. Inspired by Kyoto’s culture, beauty, and craftsmanship, the founders built Japan’s first distillery dedicated solely to gin - a tribute to the city’s balance between tradition and innovation.
The founders’ journey to build one of the most innovative distilleries in the world began some 20 years ago. Noriko and David established a whisky importing company in Tokyo in the late 1990s to introduce discerning Japanese whisky enthusiasts to a variety of distinguished single malts from independent Scottish distilleries. In this capacity, they met Marcin Miller, at the time Editor and Publisher of Whisky Magazine. Together they created a Japanese language version of the magazine, and launched whisky tasting event Whisky Live in 2000.
After an exciting decade, the team felt that it was time for a fresh challenge. As lifelong gin fans, the founders realised a long-held ambition by building The Kyoto Distillery, the first in Japan to be solely dedicated to making this glorious spirit. After two years of experimentation and research, KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin was launched in October 2016. The flagship expression is made using botanicals sourced mainly from the Kyoto Prefecture, and in collaboration with many of Kyoto’s finest artisans and craftsmen.
Production & Artistry
11 BOTANICALS, 6 ELEMENTS
We spent six months selecting the finest suppliers and botanicals for the production of KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin, many of them sourced locally from Kyoto Prefecture. In all we test-distilled over 100 botanicals before deciding upon a final recipe using just 11 of them. We divide these 11 botanicals into 6 Elements by flavour and aroma – Base, Citrus, Herbal, Spice, Green Tea and Fruity & Floral – then distil these Elements separately before blending them together with water from a Fushimi sake brewery. Our painstaking work to create a delicious dry gin aims to do justice to the culture of craftsmanship for which Kyoto has been famed for more than 1,000 years.
BASE SPIRITS
The base spirit of KI NO BI is a painter’s canvas from which a palette of colorful botanicals flourish. Having thoroughly taste-tested a variety of base spirits, we concluded that rice spirit best captured KI NO BI’s conceptual essence. Its subtle sweetness and soft, cleansing texture are absolutely indispensable in expressing the smooth, soothing flavor of KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin.
Refined and balanced, ideal for gin & tonic or cocktails.
Smooth and layered, infused with gyokuro and matcha tea.
Bold and powerful, perfect for a Negroni or highball.
GIN COCKTAILS
Explore KI NO BI cocktails, each one harnesses the region’s unique flavours and delivers an authentic taste of Kyoto, the culinary cradle of Japan – invoking the spirit of wabi, where less is more, our cocktails allow the delicate and exquisite flavour of our Kyoto Gins to shine through in elegant simplicity.
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