Tokyo Hachioji Distillery became the first craft spirit distillery to open in the Tama area when it launched last year. The Hachioji Distillery focuses on the traditional method and taste of classic London dry-style gins, but gives itself an edge by using local botanicals like Japanese lemon peel and natsumikan (summer oranges).
Currently, the distillery offers two types of speciality gin: the Classic Tokyo Hachio Gin and the Elderflower Tokyo Hachio Gin. The former is a zesty, citrusy spirit with floral notes of chamomile and elderflower. The latter, however, has more pronounced notes of elderflower and has a lower alcohol content of 40 percent, making it easier to drink for the uninitiated.
The distillery also has a bar counter and event space for parties, with a collection of domestic and international spirits for bartenders and other industry professionals to experiment with, but it's only open a handful of days each month. The distillery is about an hour and a half away from Shinjuku by train and occasionally offers tours, which must be booked online in advance.