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    Master Distiller

    Ayako Ikehara

    Master Distiller, Sakhrani Distillery

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    Master Distiller
    Portrait of Ayako Ikehara

    Portrait of Ayako Ikehara

    i. Biography

    Ayako Ikehara is the fifth-generation master distiller and representative of Yanbaru-based spirit work in Okinawa, with a family distilling lineage tied to the region. A 2025 profile says she studied brewing science, spent time abroad, and joined the family business in 2013 to develop awamori, local liqueurs, and syrups that connect the distillery with the surrounding community.

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