Trio Departs Kirin Brewery Co. to Pursue Their Gin Dreams on Historic Japanese Island

The three former Kirin Brewing Co. employees will establish their gin distillery on one of the Goto islands, Kukue Island. (Photo: Voyapon – Japan Travel Guide/YouTube)

Three men have departed from Kirin Brewing Co. — producer of Kirin Ichiban, one of Japan’s most popular beers — to pursue their gin dreams on one of the Goto Islands, located in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki, reported Nippon.

According to Nippon, two of the men, Kunihiko Kadota (who will serve as the head of the distillery) and Shunsuke Omoto, both worked in marketing — and other divisions at Kirin Brewing Co. The third man, Hideaki Kito, worked as a professional blender. The three will be utilizing their industry knowledge and experience to run the gin distillery on the northeastern part of the island, set to open in December.

Nippon reported that Goto Gin will embody the history and culture of Fukue Island. The trio became enamored with the nature and compassion of Fukue.

The Fukue’s compassion is evident by its history of accepting hidden Christians (“kakure kirishitan”), who were able to maintain their faith by fleeing to the islands, per Nippon.

Read more: This New Gin is Cask Aged in a Historic Welsh Cave for 180 Days

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