Benizakura (Hokkaido Liberty Whisky)

In Sapporo's Minami Ward, where spring water flows beneath one of the city's oldest traditional gardens, Benizakura Park holds secrets older than the city itself. Here, among carefully tended paths that have witnessed over a century of seasons, AZE Co. Ltd. chose to plant their distillery in 2018—not for convenience, but for harmony.

The 400-liter Barison still from Italy stands in deliberate contrast to its surroundings, European copper gleaming against the backdrop of ancient Japanese garden principles. This was Hokkaido's first gin distillery, and its creators understood the island's unique terroir demanded unique expression. Their 9148 gin series—the numbers a rebellious reversal of Orwell's dystopian 1984—captures Hokkaido in liquid form through ingredients no Scottish distiller would dream of using: dried shiitake mushrooms, Hidaka kelp from local waters, island-grown lavender, and strips of dried radish.

This botanical audacity reveals the deeper Japanese approach to spirits—not mere imitation of foreign traditions, but transformation through local understanding. The same philosophy that guides the garden's seasonal rhythms governs the stillhouse, where each ingredient is selected not for novelty but for its essential contribution to the whole.

The company's full name, Hokkaido Liberty Whisky, betrays their ultimate ambition. Like many Japanese distilleries before them, they began with gin to master their craft, to understand how their particular water and climate shape distilled spirits. The spring water flowing beneath Benizakura Park will soon carry different grains through copper, following the well-worn path from botanical spirits to whisky that defines Japanese distilling evolution.

AZE's parallel operation at Chitose distillery demonstrates their commitment extends beyond single-site experimentation. They are building an island whisky tradition, one still at a time, one season at a time.

The garden outside changes with each month—cherry blossoms giving way to summer green, then autumn fire, then winter's stark beauty. Inside, the Barison still waits for its next chapter, ready to transform Hokkaido grain into something the world has never tasted.