Yuzu Gin Liqueur

Yuzu Gin Liqueur by Kakuzo with Mandarin and a delicate bitter note

The Yuzu Gin Liqueur by Kakuzo is a Berlin-made gin liqueur featuring Japanese yuzu and mandarin, with 20 percent alcohol, based on a classically distilled gin. No sweet syrup in the glass, but rather a citrus interplay of delicate acidity, gentle sweetness, and a light bitter note.

Yuzu Gin Liqueur is the citrus liqueur from Berlin-based Kakuzo, which Paul Meinert and Marc Bergmann introduced at the Bar Convent in November 2019. At the time, it was one of the very first gin liqueurs, and to this day, the 0.7-liter bottle with the golden dragon is the best-selling Kakuzo on our shelf.

As soon as you pour it, you can tell that whole fruits were involved. The liqueur glows a warm sun-yellow, and the scent of mandarin and citrus peel rises to greet you from the bottle.

Delicate acidity, gentle sweetness, a light bitter note

Yuzu and mandarin give the liqueur its bright fruitiness, while the gin beneath holds its own with juniper and herbs, stripping away any cloying sweetness.

That is why it drinks well neat over a large ice cube, where the citrus peel slowly opens up and the bitter note only emerges right at the end. If you are looking for an aperitif that wakes you up rather than weighing you down, this is a great choice.

With five centiliters in a glass, ten centiliters of tonic water poured over it, and a grapefruit zest, it becomes a long drink for a summer evening. In a shaker with two centiliters of lemon juice, it creates the Yuzu Sour, which the two founders themselves serve as their house drink, and with a splash of champagne, it becomes an aperitif for larger gatherings.

A citrus fruit that takes ten years to arrive

The yuzu grows primarily in Japan and Korea, tastes like a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, and remains difficult to source in Europe.

This is due to its patience, as a yuzu tree takes around ten years before it bears its first fruit. It is harvested by hand between long thorns. Its aroma, however, is so distinct that a few drops can define the character of an entire glass. In Japan, it seasons ponzu and miso; here, it is usually used as a zest over fish. As a liqueur, the acidity of the fruit flesh and the perfume of the peel remain.

A golden dragon over a blue wave

The label depicts a golden dragon's head cresting a blue wave, perfectly capturing the tone of this liqueur, which sits between bright fruit and a fine edge.

A narrow band runs around the bottle neck with a sentence about the greatness of small things. So, whoever passes the bottle along doesn't have to say much about it, and it will stay on the shelf afterwards. You can see the sun-yellow behind it from the other side of the room, which is why it never stays in the back row of a home bar for long.

The IWSC jury awarded it silver, noting "a bold yuzu with a fabulous bitter-sweet combination." Anyone looking for the tart counterpart will find it in the Cherry Bitter from the same brand; the entire range is in the Kakuzo Collection and neighbors from other houses are on the liqueur shelf. The dragon knows what it's doing.