Suntory Hakushu Distillery Completes its Renewal

- The company enhances quality craftsmanship with the introduction of new production processes, and elevates visitor experience with new facilities and distillery tour -

Tokyo, JAPAN, August 28, 2024 --

Suntory Spirits announced that its Hakushu Distillery in Yamanashi Prefecture will complete the distillery renewal in September 2024. This project had been under way from last year with the aim to enhance quality craftmanship and elevate visitor experience at Hakushu Distillery (News Release No.14455).

To enhance quality craftsmanship, the company will introduce floor malting*1 and yeast cultivation process*2 at Hakushu Distillery and further its commitment to quality ingredients and “Tsukurikomi” – the dedication to crafting high quality new make whisky.

To elevate visitor experience, a Bird Bridge has been constructed in May to connect the Visitor Center and the Bird Sanctuary for visitors to experience the rich natural environment of Hakushu Distillery. In addition, a new restaurant Hakushu Terrace will open on September 1st, serving dishes using local ingredients. A new distillery tour Hakushu Distillery MONOZURI Tour Prestige will also launch on September 20th, replacing the current premium lineup Hakushu Distillery MONOZUKURI Tour Premium.

Hakushu Distillery was established in 1973 and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Also called as the “Mountain Forest Distillery”, the site is surrounded by a lush green valley at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps. Hakushu Distillery creates a unique whisky that differs from that of Yamazaki Distillery, not only because of its natural environment such as water and climate, but also because of the different facilities such as washback and pot stills.

As a distillery that embodies Suntory Group’s corporate philosophy “To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature”, Hakushu Distillery continues to produce high quality Suntory Whisky for the future whilst coexisting with nature. This renewal will enable visitors to better experience the uniqueness of Hakushu, from its dedication to quality craftsmanship to coexistence with the surrounding rich natural environment.

*1: A traditional process of malting barley, where once the barley has been soaked in water, it is spread out on the malting floor where it is shoveled or raked to expose it to oxygen in the air and encourage uniform germination. This method will enable malting barley in various conditions.

*2: Yeast is a fundamental ingredient to producing alcohol and is used in the fermentation process. By cultivating yeast at its in-house facilities, the company aims to continuously obtain high quality yeast.

●About the new restaurant Hakushu Terrace
The restaurant will open under the concept of “In harmony with the forest of Hakushu”, in the hope for visitors to feel a sense of relief and comfort in a place surrounded by the rich natural environment. Hakushu Terrace will offer stone oven pizza made with local ingredients from the Yamanashi Prefecture, as well as an original cocktail using Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu.

- Opening date: September 1st, 2024
- Business hours: 10:00am - 16:30pm JST
- Closed: New Year's holidays and during distillery shutdowns
- Reservation: Starts from 10:00am JST on August 28th, 2024
*Reservations can be made through the restaurant’s official website on the Hakushu Distillery website.

●About the new distillery tour Hakushu Distillery MONOZUKURI Tour Prestige
This tour will walk visitors through the distillery where Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu brand is made, for a distinctive and sensory experience of the aroma and atmosphere that can only be felt at the site. In the first half of the tour, visitors will watch a footage at a historical place in the distillery, interact with craftsmen, and be guided through floor malting, one of the endeavors introduced to enhance quality. Tasting will be held in a unique space surrounded by nature, where visitors can enjoy the Hakushu Mori-Kaoru Highball and Hakushu Single Malt Whisky 12 Years Old.
Please note that Hakushu Distillery MONOZUKURI Tour Premium will no longer be held once this new tour starts to operate.

- Dates: Only on Mondays and Fridays (excluding New Year's holidays and during distillery shutdowns)
* Dates of the tour are subject to change
- Time: 11:30am - 13:40pm JST
- Duration: 130 minutes
- Participation fee: 10,000 yen (tax included)
- First Operation Date: September 20th, 2024 (Lottery application for reservation will be accepted from August 30th 9:30am JST to September 3rd 16:29pm JST, 2024)

Please note that no one under 20 years old can participate in the tour. Drinking and driving, and drinking before the age of 20 is prohibited by the law. Drivers of automobiles, motorcycles (including passengers), or bicycles are not able to drink alcohol.

For more information, visit Suntory Hakushu Distillery website: https://www.suntory.com/factory/hakushu/

About Suntory Group
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group aims to inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Sustained by the gifts of nature and water, the Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki and Hibiki, iconic American whiskies Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, canned ready-to-drink -196, The Premium Malt’s beer, Japanese wine Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Oasis, BOSS coffee, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, and V energy drink, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.9 billion in 2023. Its 41,511 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

For more information, visit www.suntory.com and Drink Smart.

If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours.