CTI Ascend Co., Ltd. has obtained a licence to produce whisky and the distillation facility is now operational.

CTI Ascend Co., Ltd. of the CTI Engineering Group was established in January 2023 in the Tamano area of Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, with the aim of contributing to regional reconstruction through sustainable businesses such as regional resource recycling and utilisation of unused facilities, and various preparations for the cultivation of grain corn and the production and sale of whisky. The company has now obtained a licence to produce whisky on 20 June 2024 and started producing whisky on 1 July.

　

1. Commencement of whisky production
CTI Ascend opened the Tamano Ascend Distillery in the renovated former Tamano Primary School, which is leased from Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and obtained a licence for whisky production on 20 June 2024.
　

Whisky production operations started on 1 July, and production facilities such as a preparation kettle and distillation equipment have started operating in the distillation room, which was set up in the former school lunch kitchen.

　

Former Tamano Elementary School, which became the Tamano Ascend distillery

　

Whisky distillation facilities

　

Whisky preparation operations

　

　

2. Progress of the project
CTI Ascend has been growing grain corn and rye as raw materials since last year, prior to the production of whisky. The grain corn that will be used as a raw material was harvested last year and the rye will be harvested this month.
　

CTI Ascend aims to contribute to the reconstruction and revitalisation of the region through the implementation of the project by building a resource-recycling sustainable business, such as using sewage sludge fertiliser for growing grain corn, and the local residents and Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, have been very supportive in the implementation of this project.
　

The plan is to start selling the produced whisky in 2026.

　

Grain corn harvested last year　

　

Image of building a sustainable business