On the beautiful southern Japanese island of Okinawa, a compellingly different whisky-making story is taking shape.
With the nation’s whiskies commanding ever-greater global renown, independently held Sakhrani Distillery offers a fresh regional perspective, bringing Okinawa into the conversation.
The brand combines Founder Sabrina Sakhrani’s international outlook with fifth-generation Master Distiller Ayako Ikehara’s family distilling heritage, passed down through five generations.
The result is a whisky house that combines authentic Okinawan craftsmanship with a story designed to resonate with today’s premium spirits consumer.
Before opting for a full-time role this year with Sakhrani, which she founded in 2024, Sabrina spent eight years at global market intelligence house Euromonitor International, working with multinational companies across Asia on markets, consumers and growth.
The Euromonitor experience shaped her belief that lasting brands are defined not only by what they sell, but by the identity, communities and connections they create – an outlook she found fully embraced in Okinawa.
Shaped by Okinawa
That vision found a natural home in Ogimi, Yanbaru, where Sabrina began building Sakhrani amid subtropical forests, rich biodiversity and soft mountain water, in a landscape recognised as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
The whisky begins with a carefully selected proprietary blend, matured in Scotland, before continuing its journey in Okinawa. Here, Japanese woods and Yanbaru’s warm subtropical climate help shape its character. This dual-maturation approach brings together two places and two climates, with the final expression defined by its time in Okinawa.
The concept comes to life through the Sakhrani Trilogy: three expressions, each finished in a distinctive Japanese wood and expressing a different facet of the brand’s character.
The Mizunara Edition delivers warm spice, incense and sandalwood; the Kuri Edition brings peach, caramel and roasted chestnut character; and the Sakura Edition offers delicate florals, cherry blossom and gentle fruit.
A whisky with a story to discover
For today’s premium spirits consumer, provenance and discovery increasingly matter, Sabrina notes. Sakhrani whisky brings those elements together through evocative branding, a distinctive Okinawan identity and internationally recognised liquid.
The Trilogy has received international recognition from both the USA Spirits Ratings and Bartender Spirits Awards, with Gold Medals for both the Mizunara and Kuri editions and Silver Medals for the Sakura Edition. The Kuri Edition was also named Blended Scotch of the Year at the USA Spirits Ratings 2025.
All three expressions are bottled at 47% ABV, non-chill filtered and contain no added colour.
Building a family legacy
Sabrina intends her brand to become a family legacy. Having recently left corporate life behind her, she is building the company alongside her two sons in a true family enterprise.
It is a fitting evolution for a brand already connected to generations of distilling knowledge through Ikehara’s five-generation Okinawan family heritage.
Targeting travel retail
As the brand enters its next phase of growth, travel retail offers a natural platform for expansion.
For Sabrina, whose career has centred on understanding global consumers and brands, it is an opportunity to bring the story of Okinawa to an international audience – and to travellers actively seeking products they cannot find everywhere.
That ambition extends beyond whisky. Sabrina is building a premium spirits brand that combines Okinawan provenance, craftsmanship and contemporary luxury with an accessible price point.
The goal is to make a distinctive sense of place something consumers can discover, enjoy and take with them, Sabrina explains. In the words of this column, a true Local Hero.
With its international recognition and growing presence across selected overseas markets, Sakhrani is now looking to build long-term partnerships with travel retailers, hotels, bars, retailers and distributors.
In particular, she seeks partners who share a belief that the most compelling premium brands offer consumers more than a product but also a story, a sense of place and a voyage of discovery. ✈
* If you would like your independent, local/national brand to appear on Local Heroes, please contact Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
