Benizakura (Hokkaido Liberty Whisky)

Craft distillery in Benizakura Park, one of Sapporo's oldest traditional Japanese gardens, founded 2018. Initially a gin distillery (first in Hokkaido) using a 400L Barison (Italy) pot still, producing the celebrated 9148 craft gin series — named as a reversal of Orwell's 1984. Botanical list features Hokkaido-unique ingredients: dried shiitake mushrooms, Hidaka kelp, lavender, dried radish strips. Parent company AZE also operates the Chitose distillery. Whisky production in development — the company name (Hokkaido Liberty Whisky) signals clear intent. A gin-to-whisky transition following a well-established Japanese pattern.

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