Skip to main content

Move Over Coffey Malt Whisky: Nikka Unveils New Coffey Gin and Vodka

We all know and love the Nikka Whisky Distilling Company for their whiskies (which they’ve been making for more eighty years now), but now they are branching out into other spirits with two products that are sure to please. (We know, since we’ve done the hard work of tasting them.) The newest products that will be available (as early as September 2017) in the United States are Nikka Coffey Gin and Vodka.

Okay, Nikka whiskeys, maybe don’t move all the way over, because you’re amazing, but maybe just step to the side for a few moments, because your new siblings are here.

Recommended Videos

The word Coffey is not a misspelled version of another beverage we all love and probably abuse for its life-giving properties on the reg, but a name for the type of still that is used in the distillation process. The Coffey still, named for the Irish inventor Aeneas Coffey, is a continuous column still that allows for a higher proof-product than other types of stills. Nikka, as many other distilleries around the world do, already uses a Coffey still for their Nikka Coffey Grain and Nikka Coffey Malt whiskeys. For those of you interested in fun facts, and perhaps questioning the fact of a malted barley whisky being made in a column still, Nikka Coffey Malt the only malted barley whisky distilled in a column still.

For their gin and vodka, Nikka utilizes their two Coffey stills to separately distill corn and barley, which are then blended to create the final product. When it comes to the vodka (which comes in at 40% ABV and retails for around $45), there is minimal filtration through white birch charcoal, producing what the brand calls the “purest expression of the Coffey still.”

The gin (47% ABV, around $50), obviously, must go through an extra step—the addition of botanicals. You’ll find the usual juniper, coriander, lemon peel, and angelica, but what really lets this gin shine beyond others is the inclusion of four different types of Japanese citrus: Yuzu, Kabosu, Amanatsu and Shikuwasa. Not done there, apples and Sansho peppers are also added to the blend. Each botanical is distilled separately before being blended together into the final product, which is silky yet also peppery and citrusy.

Great on their own, these spirits also shine in simple cocktails and are a must for those looking to expand what they know about the vodka and gin categories.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Meet the coffee brand fighting hustle culture one cup at a time
A coffee with a mission to break up with hustle culture
Wimp Decaf Coffee Company

The decaf coffee movement has shown no signs of slowing down, as coffee drinkers are beginning to rethink the effects of drinking too much caffeine and shift towards alternative and health-focused coffee products. For Matthew Smith, Founder of Wimp Decaf, giving up caffeine wasn’t about optimizing his lifestyle. It was closer to a personal mental intervention. After noticing the mental health symptoms of how caffeine made him feel, such as the jitters and anxiety, he found himself second-guessing his favorite daily ritual. He didn't want to give up coffee, but also didn't want to keep experiencing these symptoms.

Though that could have been the end of the story, Smith quickly realized there was a space not just for better decaf coffee but for a whole brand that centered decaf as a lifestyle choice. Smith set out to start Wimp Decaf to rebrand decaf coffee as a ritual of calm—not as a sad backup plan. From here, Wimp Decaf was born with a mission to rebrand decaf as a rebellious act of self-kindness.
The decaf coffee movement

Read more
If you’re gonna make a Daiquiri, go with a recipe from a 250-year-old rum brand
A rum and sun soaked drink for summertime
The Jamaican Daiquiri.

'Tis the season for hammock naps and long meandering walks on the sand. Can't get to the beach? That's okay, we've got a great three ingredient cocktail that will transport you there.

The Daiquiri is a classic, built around little more than the ideal pairing of rum and citrus. When dialed-in, the tropical drink is one of the best in the business. If palm fronds and sea breezes could be put into a cocktail glass, well, this recipe would be it.

Read more
The easiest ways to make hazelnut coffee that actually taste great
3 methods to enjoy hazelnut flavor in your coffee
Cup of coffee

When I think of classic flavored coffee, hazelnut is one of the first flavors that comes to mind. Hazelnut coffee is almost like my version of comfort food, except in coffee form. The slightly nutty, sweet taste of hazelnut works perfectly, whether it's a regular hot coffee or an iced coffee. You can find hazelnut coffee at almost any coffee shop, but it's also super easy to make at home. Here's how to make hazelnut coffee in three ways.

How to make hazelnut coffee using flavored beans

Read more