Raw material and flavour

Three Okinawan botanicals, each with a distinct aromatic role.

A 100% Okinawan kokuto white-rum base is composed with shikuwasa, shell ginger and pipachi. Citrus lifts the top note; floral-herbal shell ginger and peppery pipachi lengthen the finish.

BaseOkinawan kokuto

CitrusShikuwasa

FloralShell ginger

SpicePipachi

StyleRum × gin

The botanicals are macerated after two stainless-pot distillations, then the spirit is distilled once more in a copper hybrid still.

From field to bottle

Maceration between the second and third distillation.

Build the base

Okinawan kokuto rum is distilled twice in a stainless pot still.

Macerate botanicals

Shikuwasa, shell ginger and pipachi are introduced after the second distillation.

Redistil in copper

A final copper-hybrid distillation integrates the aromatic layers.

Listen

The story behind this bottle

Spiced rum usually means a finished rum with spices added afterwards. This one adds them, and then distils the whole thing again — the way a craft gin is made. A conversation about three botanicals from Yambaru and three passes through a still. About five and a half minutes.

Inside the glass

Citrus-bright, floral and spicy, with kokuto depth underneath.

Lemon-lime soda, honeysuckle and calamansi lead into lime peel, jasmine, green papaya and juniper-like lift. Kokuto sweetness grounds the profile; shell ginger and pipachi shape an oriental-spice finish.

ShikuwasaJasmineGreen papayaPipachi

How to serve

Treat it as both rum and an aromatic alternative to gin.

Tonic

Tonic water sharpens the citrus and botanical line.

Daiquiri or Mojito

Use it where citrus, freshness and rum structure need to move together.

Highball

A clean highball lets shell ginger and pipachi remain visible.

Food affinities

Dishes that layer onto Okinawa’s botanicals

KOKUTO DE LEQUIO Yambaru Spiced Rum layers shikuwasa citrus, shell ginger (gettou) and pipachi spice onto an Okinawan black-sugar rum, giving it the clarity of a gin. The pairings below are not an official recommendation from the distillery or its collaborators, but a reading based on the flavor characteristics recorded on this page.

Shikuwasa’s citrus brightnessKelp-cured sea bream with yuzu, yum woon sen (Thai glass noodle salad), pan-seared white fish with lemon and capers. The citrus lift of shikuwasa echoes dishes built on acidity and herbs.

Shell ginger and jasmine floralsGrilled chicken with shiso, gai yang (Thai herb-grilled chicken), herb-roasted pork tenderloin with rosemary. The floral notes reminiscent of shell ginger and jasmine resonate with herb-forward dishes.

Pipachi’s warm spiceStir-fried pork with black pepper and ginger, gaprao (Thai stir-fried pork with basil and chili), steak au poivre. Pipachi’s warm spice mirrors the backbone of black pepper- or chili-forward dishes.

Black sugar’s sweet structurePork simmered in black sugar (kakuni), moo hong (southern Thai pork braised in dark soy), caramelized roast pork. The depth of black sugar supports the concentration of richly glazed, sweet-savory dishes.

Based on the idea in The Science of Food Pairing (summary) that citrus and herbal aromas tend to share common notes and resonate with one another, this reading pairs KOKUTO DE LEQUIO’s botanicals with acid- and herb-forward dishes. The way black sugar’s sweetness supports richer, sweet-savory dishes follows the structural axis described in Logical Pairing (summary).

Pairing guide — Shochu & Selected Spirits

The maker

Okinawan kokuto rum shaped by bartenders and a Shuri distillery.

KOKUTO DE LEQUIO is developed by SG Group, Mizuho Shuzo and OneSpirit. Mizuho Shuzo has distilled in Shuri since 1848; the project brings that Okinawan base together with a bartender-led approach to aroma and service.

Official SG Group website →

Founded1848

LocationShuri, Okinawa

DistillerMizuho Shuzo

DevelopmentSG Group · OneSpirit

Co-development

SG Group

SG Group, led by founder and bartender Shingo Gokan, co-developed KOKUTO DE LEQUIO Yambaru Spiced Rum, bringing its experience in bar culture and product development to the project.

Shingo Gokan

Gokan began his bartending career in 2001 and moved to the United States in 2006, where he developed his craft in New York. In 2012 he represented the United States and won the global Bacardi Legacy competition. He opened Speak Low in Shanghai in 2014.

His work also includes collaborations with Japanese producers on shochu, liqueurs and spirits. SG Group’s February 2026 profile lists Tokyo, New York, Madrid, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Okinawa as his activity bases.

The group

SG Group develops and operates bars and restaurants with distinct concepts in Japan and overseas. Its team includes bartenders with national and international competition records, and its venues have appeared in The World’s, Asia’s and North America’s 50 Best Bars. Alongside venue operations, the group collaborates with Japanese producers on product development and the international presentation of Japanese spirits.

Shingo Gokan’s individual awards

2012: Bacardi Legacy: global winner, representing the United States.
2017: Tales of the Cocktail: International Bartender of the Year.
2019: Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Altos Bartenders’ Bartender.
2021: Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Roku Industry Icon Award.

Career and activity bases follow SG Group’s February 2026 announcement.
SG Group official profile SG Group biography (February 2026) 2017 award record 2021 award record Product development source

Continue through the KOKUTO DE LEQUIO series in English.

For restaurants and retailers

Contact Bacchus Global for product documentation, availability and trade information.

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