When it comes to Japanese spirits, one thinks of whiskey and soju, not gin and vodka. But now those “white spirits,” notably gin, have seeped into the American market. Recently, Suntory — the Japanese distiller that has been in business near Kyoto since 1899 — started shipping its newest gin and vodka to the United States. The vodka, which is fairly neutral but traced with sweetness, is distilled from rice. The gin, which is floral and citrusy, is flavored with six Japanese botanicals, including yuzu peel and sencha tea. Though the herbs and spices typically used for gin, like juniper and coriander, are also added, they are subtle; the gin is not the London dry style.
Haku Vodka, $24.99, and Roku Gin, $29.99 for 750 milliliters, warehousewinesandspirits.com.
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Florence Fabricant is a food and wine writer. She writes the weekly Front Burner and Off the Menu columns, as well as the Pairings column, which appears alongside the monthly wine reviews. She has also written 12 cookbooks.
