Good Company: How Kikori Whiskey Helps Uplift the Asian-American Community

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Ann Soh-Woods
launched Kikori in 2015 with the vision of a “softer style of whiskey” for drinking poolside or at lunch, or in craft cocktails. Soh-Woods, who is Korean-American, was working in the entertainment industry, but always had a passion for food and beverage, especially when it came to Japanese-influenced products and businesses. 

Soh-Woods says her upbringing gave her the idea to make Kikori whiskey with a grain not commonly found in the spirit: rice. 

“As a daughter of Asian immigrants, I grew up on rice—one of those ubiquitous white rice cookers lived on our kitchen counter,” Soh-Woods says. She turned to rice to lend Kikori whiskey its own distinctly Asian American story as well as a subtler flavor. 

THE ITEM

Kikori is one of the first whiskeys in the U.S. that is made from 100% rice and produced in Japan. The spirit is barrel-aged for a minimum of three years in American oak, French Limousin oak, and sherry casks. 

Kikori whiskey has a more delicate flavor than those of American whiskeys, which Soh-Woods attributes to the rice. 

“When I set out to create a whiskey, it made sense to turn to rice as opposed to barley or corn because it has helped make me who I am,” Soh-Woods says. “I also really loved the floral nose rice added to the whiskey, and its milder flavor works so well with a variety of mixers.” 

This year, Kikori partnered with Daijoubu: A Super Asian Cocktail Pop-up, a  concept by Austin bartenders
Sharon Yeung
and
Caer Maiko,
to host a series of educational pop-ups throughout the U.S. to showcase Asian-influenced cocktails. Yeung and Maiko’s Kikori cocktails include nods to mango sticky rice and ingredients like black sesame glutinous rice balls and almond cookie syrup. 

“They create incredible cocktails not only using a wide range of Asian ingredients but really highlighting those flavors in a way that piques interest in people who’ve never thought to use those in drinks before,” Soh-Woods says. “It’s not just fun cocktails—it’s a showcase of overlooked ingredients which can and should be used not just in the kitchen but at the bar.”

THE PRICE

Kikori Rice Whiskey is priced at approximately US$50 for 750 mL. 

WHAT’S THE GOOD?

As one of the first Asian-American women founders of a whiskey brand, Soh-Woods uses Kikori to uplift others in the Asian-American community. In May, AAPI Month, Kikori launched its Discover AAPI Artists initiative to promote the work of three Asian-American women artists—comedian
Atsuko Okatsuka,
singer/songwriter SASAMI, and illustrator
Carolyn Suzuki
—and donate US$10,000 in each of the artist’s names to the Asian Mental Health Collective for a total donation of US$30,000.

“I’ve admired so many Asian-American artists, especially those in fields where Asians may not typically be thought to be involved,” Soh-Woods says. “It’s so important to de-stigmatize mental health in our community and I feel grateful we are able to support this organization.”

In Japan, where Kikori is produced, virtually all of the whiskey’s ingredients are locally sourced. The water is from the mountains of Kyushu island, where Kikori is based, and the rice is locally grown. Kikori’s labels and shipping packaging are also produced locally.  

WHAT’S NEXT

Currently, Soh-Woods is focused on launching Kikori across the U.S. She says, “We know this kind of spirit can be enjoyed globally and look forward to rolling it out to the world.”