Wine · Nago, Okinawa
Helios Distillery
An Okinawan distillery making awamori, rum and whisky in Nago.
- Founded
- 1961
- Based in
- Nago, Okinawa
Making it since
1961
Their story
Helios Distillery sits in Nago, a town in northern Okinawa, Japan's subtropical island chain. The warm, humid climate shapes everything the distillery makes, from its spirits to the way they age.
The company dates to 1961 and began with awamori, Okinawa's traditional rice spirit, along with rum. Over the years it added whisky to the lineup, and its bottles now reach drinkers well beyond the island.
How it's made
Helios pairs traditional Okinawan methods with local character. Awamori is distilled from rice in the island tradition, while its rums and whiskies age in Okinawa's heat, which pushes the spirit to interact quickly with the wood. Some whiskies, such as its Kura line, are finished in rum barrels.
Why we carry them
We reach for Helios when we want a taste of Okinawa you rarely find on a shelf in San Francisco. Try the awamori neat or ask us about the rum cask whisky.
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