Japanse gin Ki No Bi hosts pop-up in Hong Kong

Ki No Bi, the first gin made in Kyoto, Japan, has launched a one-month House of Ki No Bi pop-up in Hong Kong  at Sake Central, offering masterclasses, pairing menus and a shopping experience.

Ki No Bi made its official relaunch in Hong Kong this spring after Pernod Ricard invested in the brand.

Taking place in Sake Central in Central, the event features a pop-up bar that recreates the Zen Garden of the House of Ki No Bi in Kyoto. Moreover, guests can find an array of experiences ranging from masterclasses hosted by Ayako Miyake, the first runner-up of Japan Kanto female bartenders competition to tasting experiences.

Ms. Miyake  will be introducing the gin through conducting a series of  “6Element masterclass” every weekend starting from 15-31 May, guiding guests on a journey to relish the 6 elements of Ki No Bi – Base, Citrus, Tea, Herbal, Spice and Fruity and Floral.

Moreover, she will be guest bartending at the venue on 13 May from 7pm – 10pm, at the same time hosting a one-hour Cocktail Omakase experience, creating 3 unique cocktails with the Ki No Bi gin collections. Seats are limited and prior booking is needed.

For the tasting experience, guests can try an 8 course gin-Japanese cuisine pairing menu by the well-known Japanese chef – Shun Sato from Censu, his own restaurant that is set to open in June 2021. Chef Shun will be doing the menu in collaboration with Sake Central. The venue will also offer a gin-sake pairing flight for guests to taste the different textures of Ki No Bi gin and Tsuki No Katsura sake, both of them were made from the same water source. Signature Ki No Bi cocktails will also be available on site too.

To mark the special occasion, the brand donates a few rare bottles of Ki No Bi House Gin to auction. The Ki No Bi I House gin is a re-make of the classic Ki No Bi Dry Gin, a variation on the 11 botanicals, based on the same 6 Elements of the original dry gin recipe.

Macerated and distilled separately, before blending together with water sourced from the well at the House of Ki No Bi. The liquid was reduced to 43% ABV, resulting in a softer profile with gentler herbal tones when compared to the dry gin.

As the supply of the Ki No Bi House gin is very limited and is not open for purchase, tastings are only available at the House of Ki No Bi in Kyoto. But now Hong Kong customers can have to chance to taste it through bidding the very few bottles in Hong Kong.

The auction will be conducted once every Sunday and a minimum bet will be presented, each participant can then place a price anonymously into the auction box, after that, the box will be collected and the higher bidder will be announced. There will be total of 4 auctions and the full amount collected will be donated to Plastic Free Seas, a Hong Kong based environmental charity.

Upon signing up for the masterclass, or  purchasing the gin at Sake Central, customers will be entitled to the brand’s postcard and exclusive stamp set. There is a Japanese post box at the pop up, for them to share the experience at the pop-up with friends through the writing it on the postcard and have it mailed to them.

Pernod Ricard is responsible for the brand’s product distribution in Hong Kong. Currently, the gin is now listed on some of the famous eateries in town, including Zuma, Otto E Mezzo 8 1/2 Bombana, Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula Hotel and Rosewood Hong Kong.