198 LOQUARETTO

Sales start from 10:00 on Sunday, June 29th

A bitter-sweet liqueur made from wild loquats, with an apricot-like aroma and a beautiful loquat-colored liquid.

One of the things that surprised me about coming to this area was the number of loquat trees growing wild in the mountains and fields. With the arrival of summer, the sight of yellow loquats ripening everywhere was very refreshing.
However, there are some downsides to this. Loquats that grow on ungroomed trees are usually small and not very sweet. Also, mountain loquats are usually on tall trees, so the fruit is often out of reach, and when they ripen, they are often overtaken by monkeys. In reality, it is not easy to get hold of them.
Still, there's something concentrated about these tiny wild loquats, and the aromatic scent they release when picked is intoxicating.

So every year, when loquat season comes around, we pick them in the mountains at AMBESSA or go to pick fruit in staff's gardens, and collect a little bit from various places.
The loquats brought back are ripened further, then fermented with natural yeast, distilled, and aged into a fragrant eau-de-vie. Last year, the loquats were layered alternately with sugar and slowly turned into a syrup, bringing out the charm of the loquats in two ways.
In addition to these, we added vanilla extract, which also has an apricot-like aroma, brandy infused with mitosaya herbs, and refreshing mint spirits to create a golden liquid with a sweet, slightly bitter, and deep aroma.

The name LOQUARETTO is a play on the Italian liqueur Amaretto, which also has an almond-like aroma. The English and Italian words combine to give it the sound of "little loquat."

It can be enjoyed as a sweet after-dinner drink instead of dessert, or as an ingredient in cocktails that add sweetness and depth. The Godfather, which is paired with whiskey, is a recommended drink that makes the most of the aroma of this liqueur.

specification

Product: Liqueur Ingredients: Loquat (domestic), sugar, Welderay brandy, herbs, vanilla Alcohol content: 30%
Capacity: 110ml/500ml
Artwork by Masanao Hirayama

Limit two items per product (size) per person.

29 June (Sun.) 10:00 - on sale

A bittersweet liqueur made from wild loquats, where the soft aroma of almond melds with the golden hue of the fruit.

One of the things that surprised me most after moving to this region was how loquat trees grow wild in the mountains and fields. Having only known loquats as neatly packed fruit sold in boxes at supermarkets, it felt truly refreshing to see them ripen into golden orbs throughout the landscape as summer approached.

But it's not all easy. Loquats from untended trees tend to be small and not very sweet. Mountain loquats usually grow high up on tall trees, often out of reach—and when they finally ripen, they're frequently snatched away by monkeys and other wildlife before we get the chance to harvest them. In short, they're not easy to come by.

Even so, wild loquats have an intense, compact flavor and release an enchanting aroma when gathered in large quantities. It's this richness that keeps us coming back every year during loquat season—harvesting fruit from the hills of AMBSESSA or collecting from trees in our staff's gardens, slowly gathering them from different places.

Back at the distillery, we allow the fruit to ripen further, then ferment it with wild yeast and distill it into a fragrant eau-de-vie, which we age carefully. Last year, we also layered loquats with sugar and slowly turned them into a syrup, extracting their full essence. These two methods helped us draw out different expressions of loquat's charm.

To this base, we added vanilla extract with a similar almond-like fragrance, brandy infused with mitosaya herbs, and a fresh, minty spirit. The result is a sweet yet bitter liqueur with deep, expansive aromatics.

Inspired by the Italian almond-scented liqueur Amaretto, we named this creation Loquaretto—a blend of English and Italian that suggests “a little loquat.” A liqueur born from many small fruits, gathered by hand.

Enjoy it as a luscious after-dinner drink or as a cocktail ingredient to add sweetness and depth. We especially recommend it in a “Godfather,” paired with whisky, where its aromatic notes truly shine.

SPECIFICATIONS

Item: Liqueur
Ingredients: Loquat (Japan-grown), sugar, Veldrée brandy, herbs, vanilla
Alcohol content: 30%
Volume: 110ml/500ml
Artwork by Masanao Hirayama

Purchase quantity is limited to two items per product, per size.