A.I.R. Distillations launches Awa Shoga:

ginger as you’ve never tasted it

With its Yellow Spritz, the distillery presents a summery, non-alcoholic aperitif of distilled fresh ginger, yuzu, Japanese quince and unrefined cane sugar from the Japanese coral island of Kikaijima.

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Just before summer, A.I.R. Distillations releases its newest creation: Awa Shoga, a sparkling Yellow Spritz that brings out the fresh, delicate side of ginger. It is the second ready-to-drink aperitif in the A.I.R. line, alongside Awa Shiso — and the more summery of the two.

The name already tells the story. Awa (泡) stands for the fine, sparkling bubbles; shoga (生姜) is the Japanese word for ginger. Together they make a fresh, lively aperitif of surprising complexity. After the hype around ginger concentrates, it was time to show another side of ginger.

Ginger, but distilled

We usually know ginger in its concentrated form — often with that characteristic “rooty,” slightly dull undertone. A.I.R. Distillations takes a different path and distils fresh ginger, skin and all. It’s precisely this technique that captures the fresh “top notes” of the root: lively, clear and delicate, far from the sharpness or heaviness you might expect. This is the house signature: years of distillation experience put to work to reveal notes in ginger you’ve never tasted before.

From Dutch earth to Japanese coral

Origin here is not a detail but the starting point. The ginger is organic, and for this release A.I.R. works with the harvest of Dutch Wasabi, a grower in the Netherlands. Home-grown ginger — for an ingredient we almost automatically associate with the tropics — is something of a statement in itself.

The sweet counterpart, in turn, comes from Japan: from Kikaijima, a remote island in the Amami archipelago between Kyushu and Okinawa. The island is a rarity — a raised coral reef, formed some 100,000 years ago. That mineral-rich, fertile soil gives the unrefined cane sugar an umami-driven depth.

Sweet and sour in balance

In the glass, everything comes together. Yuzu — 100% hand-pressed — gives the citrus character: soft and sweet, yet sharp and fresh. The Japanese quince adds a fruity acidity that lends structure and leaves room for the non-alcoholic distillates of lime, cinnamon and allspice. The Kikaijima cane sugar is the sweet counterpart that holds it all together. The result is a sweet-and-sour balance: complex, yet fresh and approachable.

Sunshine in a glass

On the nose, Awa Shoga is fresh and citrusy, with aromas of ginger and lime. The palate is full and lively: sharp yuzu, lime and ginger, carried by sultry touches of allspice and cinnamon, with a rounded body thanks to the quince. The finish is tight and dry, with a subtle spice that ripples out beautifully. A perfume of sunshine, with the freshness of ginger and lime on top.

That makes Awa Shoga a summer aperitif par excellence. In the winter months you drink it neat, ice-cold; in summer you pour it over ice — the flavour is intense enough to carry that dilution effortlessly. Served at 3 to 6 °C in a wide champagne glass, it’s a non-alcoholic alternative that gives nothing away in ambition: ideal for the aperitif moment, on a terrace in the late afternoon, alongside fresh, Asian-inspired bites.

About A.I.R. Distillations

A.I.R. Distillations is a distillery of herbs, fruits and spices, specialising in non-alcoholic drinks of uncommon complexity. The house develops bespoke flavours for high-end hospitality and drinks menus, and bottles a selection of those creations. Awa Shoga is the second in that A.I.R. line, after Awa Shiso.

The philosophy is one of deliberate omission. By letting go of alcohol — and the entire frame of reference around it — room opens up to develop flavour in a way that is both different and exceptionally complex. A.I.R. thus works as a laboratory for flavour, where technique and origin meet. Everything is 100% natural: no preservatives, no additives, no “natural flavourings” or extracts. From field to bottle, honest and handcrafted.