Tankyu Distillery
Tankyu Pale Ink Sugar-Free Coffee Liqueur 淡墨無糖咖啡甜酒
Tankyu Pale Ink Sugar-Free Coffee Liqueur 淡墨無糖咖啡甜酒
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Pale Ink 淡墨
45% ABV 500ml
World’s first sugar-free coffee gin liqueur
Perfume Trees Gin chose to name this coffee liqueur “Pale Ink” as an expression of the weighted emotions settling in Hong Kong. Pale Ink is a traditional Japanese grey colour (Usuzumi-iro), and an art expression in traditional Chinese landscape paintings that uses a technique that dilutes black ink as a way to capture the humility and virtues steeped in Eastern philosophy.
Using spirits as a canvas to tell the stories of a city
Pale Ink uses Perfume Trees Gin as the spirit base, capturing the memories and fragrance of Hong Kong. There are countless ways to retell the stories of a city, but nothing does it quite as well as using locally grown botanicals and the stories and culture each one carries.
Carefully selected coffee beans by industry expert
The coffee beans used in the first batch of Pale Ink were selected by Gary Au, founder of “Urban Coffee Roasters”. The beans are from Ethiopia and roasted in Hong Kong. Using a double, cold brew method - developed by Perfume Trees Gin - the roasted beans are then infused into the spirit, preserving their true, floral notes.
Revolutionary sugar-free coffee gin liqueur
Pale Ink uses Natvia - a zero-calorie natural sweetener extract - as a substitute for sugar, so every 100ml of Pale Ink has less than 150 calories (20% less calories than vodka). This is a healthier alternative for the health-conscious consumer since commercial coffee liqueurs generally contain up to 60g of sugar which is around 400 calories.
Natvia is a stevia sweetener made from 100% natural sources, and it is a healthier alternative to artificial sweeteners and sugar recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS).
A symphonic duet between Coffee and Gin
Pale Ink has floral and fruity tasting notes from the coffee beans, with White Champaca and Indian Sandalwood coming through from the Perfume Trees Gin spirit base. The aftertaste of the liqueur is of the rich coffee notes.
The average coffee liqueur is often used as a mixer - and almost never drunk neat - since it’s generally heavily sweetened. Since Pale Ink uses Natvia instead of sugar, it is much less sweet and can be enjoyed neat. Perfume Trees Gin recommends trying Pale Ink for the first time either neat on the rocks, or with a dash of soda or tonic water to taste. These methods will enhance its coffee aroma to the fullest. Besides making classic cocktail recipes, like an Espresso Martini, Pale Ink would be a great addition to desserts, like the classic Tiramisu.
Continuation of the story beneath the Joy Perfume Trees
Pale Ink follows the design ethos of Perfume Trees Gin, using the same elegant rectangular glass bottle. The team worked with same local contemporary calligrapher Sellwords 賣字 to come up with the styling of Pale Ink 淡墨, an exemplar of traditional “Dry Brush, Pale Ink” (枯筆淡墨) techniques. The semi-translucent label was designed by the team that helped develop the original Perfume Trees Gin label too, which won The World’s Best Label Design Competition in the UK. The dark espresso-coloured spirit fills the transparent label patterns which are like the brushstrokes of a traditional Chinese landscape painting, fading as the liquid level lowers.
”Under the law of Hong Kong, intoxicating liquor must not be sold or supplied to a minor in the course of business.”
「淡墨」
全球首支無糖咖啡甜酒
500毫升 45% ABV
淡墨是日本傳統和色中的一種淺灰色,亦是日本一棵千年銀灰色古櫻之名;淡墨也是傳統中國山水畫中,一種以清水將濃墨稀釋沖淡的技法,表達淡泊清寂。
《白蘭樹下》團隊以「淡墨」命名這款咖啡甜酒,來表達在過去兩年對香港沉澱下來的情緒。
以酒續說百年小城的故事
「淡墨」以「白蘭樹下」氈酒作基底酒液,取其帶有香港回憶的獨特香氣。
如若要訴說一個城市背後的故事與文化,也許有很多種方法,卻沒有一種能如烈酒般,能透過當地生長的植物特性與風味,細數著每個土生土長的故事。
咖啡職人親自挑選咖啡豆釀製
釀製首批次「淡墨」所使用的咖啡豆由《Urban Coffee Roaster》創辦人Gary Au親自挑選,一款來自埃塞俄比亞的咖啡豆並100% 於香港焙製。
再由《白蘭樹下》團隊採用自家研發的雙重冷淬取方式,完整地保留著咖啡豆的花果香味。
革命性無糖咖啡甜酒
「淡墨」採用天然0卡路里的Natvia代替白砂糖,100毫升只有少於150卡路里。而一般咖啡酒每100毫升已含有高達60克的白砂糖,接近400卡路里,對健康帶來重大負擔。
「淡墨」按容量的糖份比例比伏特加還要低20%,為生酮飲食者和關注健康的人帶來革命性的健康選擇。
Natvia中的甜菊糖是從植物中抽取出來的低熱量天然甜味劑,被譽為最健康的替代糖。
世界衛生組織(WHO)、美國食品及藥物管理局 (FDA)、香港食物安全中心,均肯定甜菊糖的安全性。
馥郁咖啡與氈酒香味融和
「淡墨」甫入口是咖啡的花果香味,伴隨的是「白蘭樹下」氈酒的白蘭花、檀香等味道,慢慢品味又再一次滲出咖啡的回甘。
以團隊所研發的雙重冷淬取方式釀造,把埃塞俄比亞咖啡所帶著的花果香氣保留於酒液中。
一般咖啡甜酒的甜度較高,需要經沖調飲用;團隊改用Natvia代替白砂糖,使「淡墨」的甜度極低,因而能夠純飲。
「淡墨」的風味難以筆墨形容,初嚐建議加冰純飲,或簡單地加入梳打水或Tonic Water飲用,更能夠品嚐到酒中的咖啡香調。
除了可用作調製傳統的咖啡酒cocktail,如 Espresso Martini 外,亦可用作烘焙或甜品製作,例如 Tiramisu 。
延續「白蘭樹下」的故事
酒瓶𠄘繼著「白蘭樹下」的設計,沿用著品牌標誌性長方型玻璃瓶,繼續邀請本地異體書法家「賣字」為「淡墨」提字,演釋枯筆淡墨的調子。
酒瓶上那半透明標貼由曾經羸得英國「The World’s Best Label Design」大賽的《白蘭樹下》團隊親自操刀設計,而半透明標貼後,深褐色的酒液構成抽象水墨圖案的線條,而黑色的線條會隨酒液的水位而消退。
「根據香港法律,不得在業務過程中,向未成年人售賣或供應令人醺醉的酒類」




