TUMUGI Cocktail Base Spirit Unveils New Bottle Design After More Than a Decade

After a decade since its debut, the Japan-born cocktail base spirit TUMUGI has been relaunched with a refreshed design. While preserving its distinctive flavor, rich depth created by koji and the fragrant notes of Japanese botanicals, the bottle has been redesigned to embody the beauty of Wa (Japanese aesthetics). Alongside the flavor structure built around koji spirits, we revisit the appeal that defines TUMUGI.

A New Look that Embodies the Beauty of Japan

The Japan-born cocktail base spirit TUMUGI (40% ABV) was relaunched in February 2026 with a revamped bottle design. While carrying forward the label design of WAPIRITS TUMUGI⋆, first introduced at its debut in 2015, the new bottle evolves the concept by incorporating the beauty of Wa.

As a member of the WA-SPIRITS series—premium Japanese distilled spirits that bring together the techniques of koji fermentation, an essential element of Japan’s food culture—the redesign further strengthens the visual unity across the series.

⋆ WAPIRITS TUMUGI will be discontinued following the renewal and will be phased out as existing stock is sold.

Koji Spirit and Five Botanicals that Shape the Flavor of TUMUGI

TUMUGI is based on honkaku barley shochu (koji spirit) made entirely with koji, which gives it rich depth of flavor and an elegant aroma derived from koji. Made with 100% barley koji, it is produced using Japan’s traditional brewing method of parallel multiple fermentation, in which starch conversion and alcohol fermentation proceed at the same time, drawing out the full-bodied richness and aroma created by koji.

Five carefully selected Japanese-grown botanicals (kabosu, yuzu, lemon, mikan, and mint) are paired with this koji spirit. Harvested at the peak of their season, they are carefully processed by hand and infused while still fresh. To draw out the full character of each ingredient, infusion and distillation are carried out separately for each botanical.

The resulting koji spirit (honkaku barley shochu) and the botanical koji spirits are then blended in precise balance to create TUMUGI.

The WA-SPIRITS Series Showcasing the Craft of Shochu-Making

WA-SPIRITS is a series of premium Japanese distilled spirits featuring a lineup of distinctive expressions, bringing together the techniques cultivated through producing the honkaku barley shochu, iichiko, refining the distinctive flavors derived from koji and the rich depth of taste they create. In addition to TUMUGI, the lineup features a range of distinctive expressions, including iichiko Saiten, which offers layered flavors such as the rich aroma of barley and fruity notes; iichiko Shinwa, characterized by a vibrant fragrance derived from vacuum distillation and deep aromas reminiscent of ripe fruit; and iichiko Silhouette, a refined and smooth expression with a lower alcohol content (25% ABV). Each can be enjoyed in a variety of ways—straight, on the rocks, or with soda—and when used in cocktails, their flavors gain even greater color and depth.

TUMUGI has earned recognition both in Japan and internationally, particularly within bar culture, as a new option offering a uniquely Japanese method of production and flavor profile. While preserving its distinctive taste, TUMUGI will continue to be offered in a bottle design that embodies the beauty of Wa, in keeping with the aesthetic of the WA-SPIRITS series.

For more details about TUMUGI, click here.

For the background and concept behind the product, as well as cocktail recipes using TUMUGI, please visit the dedicated website.

For more information about WA-SPIRITS, click here.