In Episode 10 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Sam Yoneda, lead distiller at the newly opened but already well-awarded Nozawa Onsen Distillery. Founded with a vision to produce gin and whiskey that reflects the character of Nozawa Onsen, the distillery opened its doors to the public in December 2022 and since that time has won multiple awards both in Japan and abroad – awards including four gold medals at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, four medals – including platinum, double gold and gold – at The Sip Awards, and most recently named the 2023 New Distillery of the Year at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition.

Nozawa Onsen Distillery: Award-Winning Gin & Whisky That Will

Sam was good enough to sit with me for a chat on a humid and wild day in Nozawa Onsen, as an early summer storm passed over the village. As he explains, the distillery currently produces four gins including its signature Nozawa Gin, Classic Dry Gin, Iwai Gin and Shiso Gin – all of which have been awarded – and are distilling and barreling whiskey that will be on the market in a couple of years’ time.

Each of the gins has been produced to reflect different aspects of Nozawa Onsen’s character, with use of local and often unique botanicals. Sam goes into the choice of those botanicals, the distilling process and what’s coming in terms of whiskey in what proved to be one of the most interesting chats of the podcast to date.

Located around 50km / 70 minutes drive to the northeast of Nagano City, Nozawa Onsen is one of the snow country’s most famous hot spring towns and home to one of Japan’s best ski resorts. As such, water and snow are fundamental to the story of Nozawa Onsen and just as important as the botanicals selected to reflect the village character and surrounding landscape. As the distillery states, “We want share the warmth of the people, the heat of the onsen, the beauty of the mountains, the freshness of the forest and the exhilaration of a Nozawa Onsen adventure”. Early recognition from the public and professional judges attests to the fact that they are doing just that.

Of course we can’t talk Nozawa Onsen without discussing its popular ski resort, something I go into detail at the end of the episode following my interview with Sam. Totaling around 300 hectares of interconnected terrain, Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is Japan’s fourth largest resort and a host venue of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. Boasting fantastic powder, mixed terrain and one of Japan’s longest ski runs at 10 kilometres, there’s plenty to like about the mountain with just as much on offer in the village including the distillery, plenty of accommodation, a fantastic range of restaurants, bars and of course, hot springs - including its many free public ‘onsen’ dotted throughout the village. All-in-all, I regard Nozawa Onsen as Nagano’s best ski resort. If you’re interested in hearing more about the ski resort, make sure to listen all the way through as I go into some detail about why I rate it and (at the end of the episode) ask Sam to confirm a theory I have as to why Nozawa’s hot springs are so bloody hot!

Another very big thank you to Sam and the team at Nozawa Onsen Distillery for welcoming me in and showing me around. I was already a big fan of what they’re doing before the interview and having had the pleasure of chatting with Sam and taking a peek at the distillery myself, I am even more so now and have no doubt they are on a path to more success and recognition in both Japan and abroad. All above images were provided by and are the property of the distillery, and were taken by photographer Jun Yamagishi.

Make sure to checkout the Nozawa Onsen Distillery website and follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. For those headed to Nozawa Onsen, the distillery is only a couple of minutes walk from the centre of the village and is open to the public everyday other than Tuesdays, from 12:00 to 19:00. Tastings are available for only JPY500 with the friendly team sure to make you feel right at home and guide you through each of their gins. I can’t recommend it enough.

I hope you enjoy!