Big on Japanese whisky? It’s time to get on board with the country’s gin train, and a great place to start is at cocktail bar Last Word, which is hosting Japanese gin label Ki No Bi’s Christmas pop-up through December.

For the festive season, Ki No Bi has released the limited-edition Edition G. Aged in oak barrels sourced from the Champagne region’s Argonne Forest and previously used to mature Henri Giraud’s finest champagnes, it is a dry gin with warm buttery oak and wood spice aromas laced with vanilla, caramel and burnt toffee flavours. Only 120 bottles are available in Singapore including limited quantities for purchase at Last Word.

Specially curated for the pop-up are four Ki No Bi cocktails featuring the brand’s Kyoto Dry Gin, which has a strong citrus backbone, hints of black tea and a slight peppery finish. Sencha is a refreshing tea-based concoction with sencha and chamomile; Winter Brew is a Japanese twist to a New York Sour with mulled wine and fresh yuzu peels; Alphine Whites recalls a herbal Negroni tinged with mint and pine; while Jolly Good Time contains Christmas flavours such as chocolate and berries, complemented with sakura for a delicate floral infusion.

There are also a series of guest shifts, gin tastings and cocktail masterclasses as part of the pop up experience. Coming up on the calendar is a cocktail masterclass led by Josh of Last Word on Dec 17, in which participants learn to make a shaken and a stirred cocktail, plus a guest shift by Marcy Sakuma, Ki No Bi’s global brand ambassador, on Dec 21.
For more information, visit Ki No Bi’s website or follow the brand on Instagram at @kinobi.official and Last Word on Instagram at @lastwordsg.