One of Japan’s most awarded distilleries wants Australians to sample the true taste of Okinawa at home, until they can visit the region for themselves.
Established in 1961, Helios Distillery in Japan manufactures and sells Awamori – distilled liquor unique to Okinawa. Helios has launched its famed Ryukyu Bijin Awamori in Australia in the hopes that Aussies will love it as much as the Japanese do, and the smooth drink with a festive bottle design is the perfect tipple as the cooler weather settles in.
Awamori, which is like sake, is one of Japan’s leading alcoholic beverages, and is produced by only around 50 distilleries, all in the Okinawa prefecture. In Okinawa, Awamori is sometimes referred to as shima-zake (island sake) and is one of the oldest spirits in Japan. Considered to be one of the top 5 most popular Awamori available, Helios’ Ryukyu Bijin is a fusion of old meets new, developed by incorporating new production methods into the traditional ways of making the liquor.
Produced in an area long known for its high quality water, Helios Distillery Awamori has won many awards, and is created from natural spring water available on the distillery site, giving it a clean, crisp taste. The resulting liquor has also been aged to give a sweet aroma and deepness of flavour if sipped straight, and slowly. Ryukyu Bijin also makes a great cocktail base, and is especially good paired with complementary Japanese flavours such as yuzu – so much so that the distillery will launch a ready to drink sparkling yuzu flavoured Awamori drink in coming months. This refreshing yuzu RTD will provide another way for Australians to enjoy the taste of Okinawa at home.
Ryukyu Bijin is available to purchase from Dan Murphy’s and retails from $55 (700mL bottle)
.jpg){kind=tracking}