The Gin Refined in Kyoto、Exclusive Gin Tasting～House of KI NO BI

Kyoto Distillery is challenging itself to create unique craft gin using carefully selected ingredients such as Kyoto-grown yuzu and green tea. In 2020, the Kyoto Distillery opened a brand experience shop called "Ki No Bi House" in Kyoto. In the charming space of a renovated Kyoto townhouse, you can learn about the intricacies of "Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin," which is made in the distillery, and actually taste it. They also sell merchandise that's only available in this store, so if you stop by in between sightseeing, you can enjoy a special experience that's only possible in Kyoto.

Now, let's take a look inside the store.
■Special experience you can only have here①・・・"Ki No Bi Tasting Seminar"

▲Image source: Ki No Bi House

Once inside the store, you'll find a high-quality space decorated with handmade zelkova furniture and Nishijin-ori textiles. In the tasting seminar in English, you will first learn about the background and production methods of gin making and then experience a tasting. "Ki No Bi" is a craft gin made with carefully selected ingredients, including the famous water of Fushimi, Kyoto, and locally grown yuzu.
We use a unique method in which 11 types of botanicals are distilled in six groups and then blended together.

■Special experience you can only have here②・・・"Kyoto Crafts Seminar"

▲Image source: Ki No Bi House

At the bar counter on the second floor, you can enjoy a cultural experience that brings you into contact with Kyoto's traditional crafts. You can also create your own special bottle by creating an original gold leaf label and attaching it to the bottle. You can take home the finished bottle as a souvenir. ※Reservations are required in advance for this experience.

■Special experience you can only have here③・・・"Compare three kinds of tasting"

▲From the left in the photo, the flavors are "Ki No Bi", "Ki No To" and "Ki No Plum" and they each have impressive tastes.

A popular menu item at the bar is the "Three Gin Tasting" where you can choose your three favorites from six different types of gin. Couple or friends can share all six varieties. A souvenir set of three 200ml bottles of the classic gin is also available.

■Recommended Craft Gin①・・・"Ki No Bi House Gin" 6,000 yen (tax included, same below) / 700ml Alcohol content: 43%

This limited edition bottle of "Ki No Bi House Gin" can only be purchased here. It uses the same botanicals as the standard "Ki No Bi," but there is a big difference in the water. While the regular "Ki No Bi" uses underground water from Fushimi, "Ki No Bi House Gin" uses well water from "Ki No Bi House". It has a softer, smoother and gentler taste

Recommended Craft Gin #2: Kyoto Dry Gin "Ki No Tea" 6,000 yen/700ml Alcohol content: 45%

This gin is especially popular among tea lovers, as it uses a special blend of Gyokuro and Tencha tea from Horii Shichimeien, a long-established tea shop in Uji, and is also combined with botanicals carefully selected exclusively for "Ki No Tea". This is a masterpiece that skillfully brings out the gentle aroma and flavor of Japanese tea, overturning the conventional image of gin.

■ Recommended craft liqueur: "Ki No Bai" 6,900 yen/700ml Alcohol content: 29%

This liqueur is made from specially distilled gin, steeped in Haskap berries from Hokkaido and the rare Kyoto plum variety "Joshu Shiro," and carefully finished with the addition of Hokkaido beet sugar. This liqueur has a soft balance of charming acidity and umami flavor of the plum, and a smooth mouthfeel that makes it easy to drink even for those who don't like gin.

■Special Gin... "Ki No Jyu Gyokuro" 55,000 yen/700ml Alcohol content: 47%　

This special gin is made using rare Gyokuro tea grown at the Okunoyama Tea Garden of Horii Shichimeien, which is also used in "Ki No Tea" and is produced in limited quantities per year. It has a luxurious taste with a concentrated fruity aroma and umami flavor, and the delicate sweetness and umami that only Gyokuro can offer. We recommend drinking it straight or on the rocks. ※Price and volume are subject to change without notice.

■Message to guests visiting Japan

▲The special VIP room "Gin Palace". You can enjoy a special menu of barrel-aged gin that is only available here. (Reservation required)

Ki No Bi House is the world's first Ki No Bi brand home, where you can fully experience the world of Ki No Bi and the essence of Kyoto. You can learn about the history of gin, the distillation process, and the commitment to ingredients used while tasting the craft gin. Located within walking distance of central Kyoto, it's an easy place to stop by while sightseeing. Come and enjoy a special experience that can only be had here.

■Shop Location
358 Shimizucho, Kawaramachi-dori Nijo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City