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May 20, 2022
From sake lees to craft gin: Tokyo Riverside Distillery champions sustainability.
EAT | Tokyo Riverside Distillery
Transforming waste materials from sake breweries and beer suppliers into craft gin.
In an era where the keyword "sustainable" resonates throughout society, one might wonder how many initiatives truly hold up as viable businesses. What is the philosophy behind "a distillation platform that realizes a circular economy," championed by Ethical Spirits, a venture established in February 2020? Where lies the light that balances environmental consideration with business? To mark the release of a new product, I visited a cleverly renovated multi-tenant building in Kuramae, a district historically known for its artisans in Tokyo.
Photographs and Text by IJICHI Yasutake
A place of hope in this downtown district.
Tokyo Riverside Distillery refers to the entire building, a charming structure reborn through renovation of a 50-year-old edifice. The first floor houses a store with takeout options, the second floor features "Bar & Dining Stage" offering cocktails made with craft gin and special dishes, and the rooftop is a garden.
The rooftop garden, offering views of the Skytree, cultivates 18 varieties of herbs. These herbs are used in cocktails and food menus at the second-floor "Stage," as well as for flavoring the craft gin's botanicals. While one might wish to pluck and eat them straight from the soil, their freshness is fully utilized, infusing both the gin and the food with a rich aroma.
The distillery is located behind the first-floor store. One is immediately struck by the grand and imposing distillation apparatus, which rivals the cost of luxury cars. Through this equipment, sake lees, which were destined for disposal, are infused with botanicals and reborn as gin with a new flavor profile.
Naturally, the flavor of the reborn gin varies entirely depending on the sake lees used. Mr. Yamamoto, the representative of Ethical Spirits, originally worked in the sake industry. Recognizing the high quality of sake lees produced during sake production, he felt it was a waste for them to be discarded or used only as fertilizer. He began purchasing them as raw material, redistilling them, and selling them as craft gin. The profits are then used to provide sake rice to the breweries that supply the lees, creating a circular system where new sake is produced. His commitment is unwavering.
The second-floor "Bar & Dining Stage" allows visitors to immediately savor the herbs and craft gin produced here. I was served two new varieties from the "REVIVE" series, craft gins reborn from beer in collaboration with Budweiser and Gekkeikan.
These were "REVIVE from Hoegaarden Root," reborn from the Belgian white beer Hoegaarden, and "REVIVE from IPA Disrupt," reborn from an American craft IPA. By the summer of 2021, 60,000 liters of surplus beer, facing disposal, had been revived as over 15,000 bottles (375ml) of craft gin. The Root was prepared as a "Corpse Reviver No. 2," a world-famous cocktail, and the Disrupt as a "Mojito." These were served alongside a three-course meal featuring dishes like mussels and sweet and sour pork with oysters.
The unique and rich flavor of the gin offered an unparalleled taste. The food menu (co-supervised by Shohei Shiratori) changes with the seasons, but it's astonishing that this course is offered at the regular price of 1,800 yen (excluding tax). With this quality and price point, it's a comfortable and convenient place to visit, whether alone or with company.
Kuramae, while now often called "Tokyo's Brooklyn" and associated with a stylish image, has long been known as a district of artisans. Techniques honed and buildings nurtured through its long history and culture are now being revitalized and reborn through renovation, aligning with contemporary values.
The aspirations of sake breweries across Japan, the dedication to craft gin production, the rooftop garden, the building itself – Tokyo Riverside Distillery embodies these elements. Perhaps in synergy with the Kuramae district, its story and the high quality of the gin itself are gaining recognition, leading to increasing interest from overseas.
Beyond a story condensed with modern appeal, filled with the charm of diverse craftsmanship, lies a sincere pursuit of deliciousness. I look forward to following the future endeavors of Tokyo Riverside Distillery and Ethical Spirits.
Tokyo Riverside Distillery
