NIKKA WHISKY: The Untold Origin of Japanese Whisky

If you fancy yourself as a whisky connoisseur, you’ve likely already heard of NIKKA WHISKY, a premium Japanese whisky brand. Their goal is to create a whisky that helps you “savor the joy of life,” and with their brand-new flagship bar in Tokyo — THE NIKKA WHISKY BAR TOKYO — you might just say they’ve succeeded.

Bringing together the best bartenders from around the world, many of whom you’ll usually find mixing drinks behind the best bars in Tokyo and throughout Japan— frequently featured in Asia’s Best Bars and The World’s Best 50 bars — you’ll soon discover the latest venue for cocktails and catch-ups.

But first… Let’s acquaint ourselves with the story behind NIKKA WHISKY.

NIKKA WHISKY is a whisky brand that first began in 1934, though at this time it was running under the name of Dai Nippon Kaju Co., Ltd. It would take another six years for their first whisky — the famous NIKKA WHISKY — to be launched in 1940, changing the landscape of Japan’s drinking culture forever.

These days, the whisky of NIKKA is enjoyed in many parts of the world, giving people a taste of Japanese craft in every sip. They’ve never strayed from their dedication to premium whisky, but they have broadened their horizons to include other spirits, aiming to please discerning drinkers of all ages and tastes.

Within the NIKKA WHISKY brand, there are many offerings abroad including THE NIKKA (PREMIUM BLENDED WHISKY), SINGLE MALT YOICHI, SINGLE MALT MIYAGIKYO, and NIKKA WHISKY FROM THE BARREL.

Although most people believe this world-renowned whisky brand began in 1934, you could say NIKKA WHISKY was born on June 20, 1894, when Masataka Taketsuru himself was born into a sake-brewing family in Hiroshima.

At the age of 22, he graduated from Osaka Technical with a major in brewing, before joining the Settsu Shuzo Company (the most prominent Japanese distillery at the time). Two years later, they would send Masataka to Scotland to learn about whisky making.

From here, he apprenticed at Longmorn Distillery, James Calder and Hazelburn Distillery, learning the production of grain whisky, malt whisky, and whisky production and blending techniques, respectively — all in the space of two years, in which he also married his beloved wife, Rita.

Together, they moved to Japan, but Masataka soon left Settsu Shuzo Company for Kotobukiya Limited (Suntory) after learning that they would be abandoning their plans to produce whisky.

For 10 years, leading on the construction of the Yamazaki Distillery, the first whisky distillery in Japan. But everything changed in 1934, when he left Kotobukiya to create his own company: Dai Nippon Kaju Co.

The world of whisky was forever changed from this moment. Yoichi Distillery started distillation in 1934 and the very first whisky, NIKKA WHISKY, was launched in 1940.

In the following 39 years, a whirlwind of activity took place in Masataka’s self-created world of whisky. Dai Nippon Kaju Co., Ltd. became The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd., and the first Coffey Still was imported from Scotland to Asahi Breweries’ Nishinomiya plant, producing the finest grain whisky.

In 1966, the second Coffey Still was installed and just a year later, the Kashiwa bottling plant was completed. In the spring of 1969, Miyagikyo Distillery was completed and began distillation, followed by the Tochigi plant in 1977.

Masataka passed away on August 29, 1979, at the age of 85. His legacy would outlive him, earning him the title of the “Father of Japanese Whisky.”

These days, Masataka continues to inspire a love of whisky across the world, with NIKKA’s From the Barrel being a bestseller overseas, while the single malts of the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries are beloved in Japan.

NIKKA WHISKY is created at one of two distilleries: Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido and Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai. 

For a closer look inside the hidden wonders of Yoichi Distillery follow Shizuka Anderson’s journey through the NIKKA WHISKY distillery in Yoichi, where she learned about how NIKKA WHISKY became the world-renowned whisky blenders and distillers they are today, as well as experiencing a whisky tasting or two for herself:

This traditional coal-fired distillation is rare these days as it’s harder to control and requires experts of the craft. However, the bold, toasty burnt flavors that are so loved in Yoichi Single Malt are a direct result of this unique distillation method.

Miyagikyo Distillery is known for its distinctive malt and grain whiskies, using distinctive pot and Coffey stills that are noticeably larger than those at Yoichi. These are heated by indirect steam that allows for slower distillation, gently crafting the soft, floral flavor profile associated with Miyagikyo Single Malt.

After 90 years of whisky history, that brings us to now… and NIKKA WHISKY is making history all over again with their new flagship bar: THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO, based in the bougie area of Omotesando for a limited time only.

From August 7 to December 25, 2024, this flagship bar will place the diversity and decadence of NIKKA WHISKY in the spotlight, using an open-plan layout of three key areas to guide Tokyo’s cocktail crowd in the direction of elite whisky concoctions.

Relax and sip on elevated classics in THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO’s Lounge, a hub for innovative whisky-based cocktails, poured by some of the best bartenders in the entire world.

 Some of the premium cocktails you can discover in The Lounge include:

• Old Fashioned: Yoichi Single Malt, syrup, angostura bitters, sakura chip smoke

• Whisky Sour: NIKKA FROM THE BARREL, lemon, syrup, angostura bitters, egg white

• Penicillin: Miyagikyo Single Malt, lemon, ginger, honey (in a beaker)

• Espresso Martini: NIKKA COFFEY GRAIN, espresso, coffee liqueur, syrup — a rare treat to find in Japan

•  Clover Club: NIKKA COFFEY GIN, raspberry puree, lemon, syrup, americano bianco, egg white

•  Bloody Mary: NIKKA COFFEY VODKA, tomato juice,  mary mix, lemon

All of which could be perfectly paired with premium bar snacks from The Lounge’s menu, of course.

This is where only the best of the world’s bartenders get to show off their mixology expertise, flying in from all over the world for an opportunity to craft cocktails at THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO.

Many of these mixology masters hail from the best bars in Tokyo, featured in The World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars. NIKKA WHISKY has created a community of the best bartenders in the industry.

Experience the cutting edge of cocktails with concoctions from the master bartenders of:

1. Bar BenFiddich

2. BVLGARI Ginza Bar

3. El Lequio

4. Folklore

5. Bar High Five

6. Bar Owl&Rooster

7. THE SG CLUB

8. The Tokyo Edition

9. Trench

10. Virtu

11. Yakoboku

12. Bee’s Knees

13. Tokyo Confidential

For the chance to take the wonders of NIKKA WHISKY home with you, you can stop by The Shop on your way in or out of the bar. Under the neon lights of the NIKKA WHISKY logo, you’ll find branded merchandise of all kinds, from hats, pin badges and hip flasks to glasses and even cushions.

After you fall in love with the lavish whisky cocktails of THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO, you may find it hard to resist…

Like many popular must-try attractions in Tokyo, bookings are made available on a month-by-month basis — bookings for the following month are opened at the start of the month before.

Choose your date, time slot and decide whether you want to relax in The Lounge or The Bar, each offering different drinks, bar snacks and atmospheres. Tables of up to four people can be booked in The Bar, or up to six people in The Lounge.

Walk-in spaces are possible, but with the hottest new cocktail bar in Tokyo… is it worth the risk of being turned away at the door? Go on, walk into a world of NIKKA WHISKY.

Reserve your spot at THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO.

NIKKA WHISKY was created by the “Father of Japanese whisky,” Masataka Taketsuru. There is a NIKKA WHISKY distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido and Miyagikyo, Sendai. Both are renowned for using traditional techniques to create smooth, flavorful whiskies and spirits.

NIKKA WHISKY have also started making a new whisky in Japan’s Kyushu region, and even have a distillery in Ben Nevis, Scotland, purchased back in 1989.

It all starts with NIKKA WHISKY’s expert blending, which was first developed by NIKKA after realizing that the art of blending whisky hadn’t yet reached Japan.

With the sheer diversity of whisky available in Japan, it was necessary to develop these blending techniques to create innovative new flavors and concoctions. Naturally, NIKKA WHISKY led the way.

Some people also can’t help but ask, “Is Japanese whisky better than Scotch?”. It depends on your personal tastes. Generally, Japanese whisky is regarded as elegant and refined, while Scotch is known for its wide-ranging appeal.

In addition, unlike Scotland — where distilleries can exchange whisky with each other — in Japan, where there are few distilleries and they cannot exchange whisky, so each distillery had to create their own variety.

NIKKA WHISKY continues to pursue this diversity through differences in raw materials, fermentation methods, distillation methods and barrels.

Naturally, it depends which NIKKA WHISKY creation you’re enjoying, but as an example, the Nikka From The Barrel is described as being a full-bodied whisky with notes of fruits, spice and oak; discerning drinkers may also notice elements of toffee, caramel and vanilla.