Kaikyo Distillery

The Yonezawa family, brewers since 1856 and founders of Akashi-Tai Sake, began distilling Sochu and liqueurs in 1918. In 2017, to prepare for the 100th anniversary celebrations, Kimio Yonezawa, owner / Toji of Akashi Sake Brewery, decides to renovate the distillation area of the company and creates The Kaikyo Distillery Company.

Production is radically renewed with the replacement of the old column still with a twin-pot still produced by the famous Forsyth's (the world's leading manufacturer of malt whisky distillers).

The Kaikyo distillery initially shares premises with Akashi-Tai Sake and has held a whisky production licence since May 2017. It is subsequently moved to purpose-built premises next to the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge from which it takes its name, as a tribute to the world's longest suspension bridge, which connects the city of Kobe to Awaji Island passing over the Akashi Strait.

After a long period of study and research Kimio Yonezawa began distilling the first malt whiskies in 2017, which will be released as Kaikyo Single Malt in 2022. In the meantime, the distillery also started producing 135° East Japanese Gin, which immediately became one of the most popular in the Rising Sun.