新宮商行 will launch the wooden whisky bottle 'Hokkaido Mizunara Bottle -Kogei (Craft)-,' made with Hokkaido-grown mizunara oak, on 2 September 2026. Developed jointly with contemporary artist Kei Arabuna, the product enables users to experience barrel aging at home and offers a distinctive experience that combines traditional crafts with expert craftsmanship.
新宮商行 announced that it will launch 'Hokkaido Mizunara Bottle -Kogei (Craft)-,' a new product developed jointly with contemporary artist Kei Arabuna, on 2 September 2026. The wooden bottle is made with Hokkaido-grown mizunara oak and is designed to enable users to experience barrel aging at home. Its interior is charred in the same way as a barrel, allowing the whisky's flavor to develop a richer profile.
The product's main appeal lies in the experience of savoring and nurturing the passage of time. Because the characteristic flavor compounds of mizunara oak are transferred gradually, the flavor becomes substantially richer in as little as approximately 2 weeks.
Drawing on its approximately 120-year history, 新宮商行 is working to connect the techniques of traditional Japanese crafts with the value of timber by utilizing approximately 5,000 ha of company-owned forests. This product represents an extension of those efforts and creates a new category.
The bottle's design features laser-engraved Ainu motifs supervised by Akan Ainu Konsulun. Solid brass hoops complete the design, while the inner mizunara component can be replaced and re-charred. The first replacement is free of charge, but shipping costs are borne by the user.
The product comes in a paulownia wood box, making it suitable as a gift, and offers an experience of nurturing whisky's evolution in quiet settings such as a hotel bar or a home study. The rarity and distinctive flavor of Hokkaido-grown mizunara enhance its value as a craft piece whose character deepens with use.