浮世 UKIYO: “Floating World”. “The term Ukiyo refers to a state of mind emphasizing living in the moment, detached from the difficulties of life.”
Ukiyo Spirits website
Kirker Greer Spirits have recently launched the Ukiyo Japanese Rice Vodka crafted using traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The release celebrates the purity of traditional Japanese distilling perfected over generations.
Ukiyo Rice Vodka takes its roots from the tropical islands of Okinawa, Japan. Rice has always been the most essential ingredient in the Japanese kitchen. Ukiyo Rice Vodka is developed from the traditional Japanese Awamori spirit made from Japanese rice. This craftsmanship is unique to the island and is being practised for more than 130 years.
Ukiyo Rice Vodka traditional craftsmanship starts by using harvested long-grain Indica rice. The rice has been inoculated with black kōji fungus and is fermented. Black kōji mould is used in traditional Okinawa vodka making. The mould is resistant to high temperature and humidity, as it releases a large quantity of citric acid. Thus, it prevents the corrosion of moromi (fermented mash) in high temperatures of Okinawa as well as fights bacterial colonization. This boots the making of Okinawa vodka throughout the year. The fermented mash from Indica rice is distilled into the Japanese Awamori spirit. The spirit is then double distilled again in copper pot stills to produce the pure 40% ABV Ukiyo Japanese Rice vodka.
The Rice Vodka is packaged in a unique greyish smoked transparent glass bottle. The top of the bottle is designed in the shape of a mountain, in the middle ‘Ukiyo Japanese Rice Vodka’ is labelled, and at the bottom, it is shaped in a semi-circle clear fashion symbolizing the depth of the sea. This unique bottle design ‘mirrors the mountains and seas of Japan’.
The small-batch premium Rice Vodka is a clean, smooth, and subtly sweet spirit. There are violet and citrusy floral notes in the background. The brand suggests sipping the vodka-like Japanese shōchū or sake or pairing it with food.
“We are delighted that there has been a huge demand for the Ukiyo brand. When we launched the two gins in September they sold out ahead of launch, and the same has now happened with our rice vodka despite having doubled our production run in anticipation. Our customers are really intrigued by these truly unique spirits and feedback from the vodka so far has been phenomenal, not only on the taste profile but on the striking visual impact of the bottles too.”
By John Soden, the chief commercial officer of Kirker Greer Spirits.
The 700 ml bottling vodka will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia, for RRP £35.99 (US$47.70). In the UK, an order can be placed through Spiritly, Amazon, Master of Malt, The Bottle Club, and House of Malt. You can check the shipping option in the region here- https://ukiyospirits.com/#vodka.
Cocktail Recipes
The team at Ukiyo Spirits has curated delicious cocktail recipes with Ukiyo Rice Vodka for you to try at the comfort of your home.
Shiso Pineapple Punch
Ingredients:
- 1 Fresh Shiso Leaf
- 25ml Lemon Juice
- 15ml Cane Syrup
- 25ml Pineapple Juice
- 15ml Fino Sherry
- 40ml Ukiyo Vodka
Tokyo Mule
Ingredients:
- 15ml Lime Juice
- 25ml Ginger Syrup
- 60ml Ukiyo Vodka
There are other cocktail recipes to try with Ukiyo Blossom Gin and Ukiyo Yuzu Gin like- Blossom Fizz Blossom Martini, Yuzu White Negroni, etc. Click here.
Indulge in the delicate premium taste of Ukiyo Japanese Rice Vodka and experience the traditional Okinawa vodka craftsmanship with every sip, making old-world meet the modern world. 乾杯 Kanpai!(Cheers!!!)