Donut-flavored “Craft Gin” is now available. Krispy Kreme Donuts’ Upcycling Efforts at the Peak of a V-Shaped Recovery

Krispy Kreme Donuts Japan (hereinafter referred to as KKDJ) will sell limited upcycled donuts. It uses herbs and spices left over from the craft gin manufacturing process.

In collaboration with Ethical Spirits, a distillation venture invested in by Suntory Holdings, the company has also developed a craft gin, LITTLE JOY SPIRITS, upcycled from the waste parts of KKDJ’s classic product, Original Glazed.

Upcycled donuts for adults are born

The upcycled donut “Craft Gin Upcycled Old Fashioned” mixes waste such as herbs and spices generated after distillation of Ethical Spirits’ representative gin “LAST ELEGANT” into the dough. The surface icing (surface decoration) is “elegant” and scented.

When I actually ate it, the scent of herbs spread in my mouth, and I felt that it was a taste for adults, accented by the tangy Japanese pepper that came later.

That should be it. These donuts are sold exclusively at the Tokyo International Forum store, which is the flagship store, every Friday and Saturday in June from 17:00 to 21:00.

At the Tokyo International Forum store, during this period, non-alcoholic cocktails using collaboration gin “Elegant” and donut burgers with added options to match gin will be sold. We have a lineup for adults that you can eat and drink quickly on your way home from work or shopping.

“As expected, the taste is a bit peculiar for children. We chose a location in Marunouchi, where there are many older users such as office workers, rather than a family-oriented suburb.”

says Takako Wakatsuki, president of KKDJ.

Craft gin that “baked once” Ros donuts

The flavoring of the collaboration craft gin “LITTLE JOY SPIRITS” uses excess dough and glaze (like a coating on the surface) that inevitably occur during the donut manufacturing process.

Although the amount fluctuates depending on the season, it is said that the total of all KKDJ stores is about 1 ton or more per month. In the development of 300 limited-edition products, 403 donuts were used.

Craft gins are usually made by infusing base spirits, which are alcoholic beverages, with botanicals that serve as flavoring agents. For this botanical, I used Ross donuts.

“The dough is baked into a cookie shape, and the glaze is caramelized and soaked to make it stand out even more without spoiling the original aroma of the dough and glaze.”

Said Chikara Ono, COO of Ethical Spirits.

When I tasted it, it was refreshing and easy to drink, with a hint of peeling orange and shikuwasa that goes well with the sweetness and aroma.

“LITTLE JOY SPIRITS” can be purchased on the official Ethical Spirits EC site, at the distillery “Tokyo Riverside Distillery” in Kuramae, and at a pop-up held at KKDJ Tokyo International Forum from June 2nd to 3rd. .

A chance to “work seriously and have fun”

Ethical Spirits, which collaborated with KKDJ this time, is a distillation venture established in 2020 that produces ethical gin. In August 2022, we have raised 200 million yen from three companies, including Suntory Holdings.

So far, we have a track record of recycling sake lees, which is supposed to be discarded by breweries, and beer, which is discarded due to the corona crisis, into gin.KKDJ said that by drawing attention to this unexpected combination of craft gin and donuts, he sounded out this collaboration to create an opportunity to “work seriously and have fun” on the food loss problem.

As a next step, Ethical Spirits is developing ways to utilize more of KKDJ’s Ros donuts. This time, the dough part of the Ros donut used for botanical (fragrance) contains starch, which is an element of alcohol, and it seems that it has the potential as a base spirit.