Livening up Yamanashi Prefecture with beer “Yamanashi Support Project” Part4 Beer brewed with Tomatoes from Hokuto City in Yamanashi. 「Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale」 Will be on sale on Sunday April 27th 2021.

Far Yeast Brewing Co. (Head office: Kosuge, Yamanashi Prefecture; Representative Director: Shiro Yamada), a craft beer brewery that brings beer brimming with originality from Japan to the world, has announced the fourth installment of the “Yamanashi Support Project” to liven up Yamanashi Prefecture with beer: “Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale.” This Tomato Ale is brewed with “Omoiro” tomatoes from Hokuto City in Yamanashi Prefecture. 

 

■The latest addition to the Yamanashi Support Project is Vegetable Ale made with tomatoes from Hokuto City.

 In October 2020, we moved our headquarters from Shibuya, Tokyo, to Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, where our head brewery is located. Since then, we have been working more closely with agricultural producers and other companies in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The “Yamanashi Support Project” was launched in July 2020, even before the relocation, to revitalize the local industry through brewing beer using locally produced products in Yamanashi.

The 1st Yamanashi Support Project was “PEACH HAZE” using peaches from Yamanashi City. The 2nd was “Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!” using plums produced in Kosuge Village, where Far Yeast is located. And the 3rd was “GRAPEVINE” using grapes from Nirasaki City. Using agricultural products grown in Yamanashi Prefecture as ingredients for beer, we have been sending the appeal of Yamanashi Prefecture to people.

The 4th beer, Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale, is made from “Omoiro Tomatoes” produced by Lycoper Corporation, an agricultural production corporation located in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. We used the Omoiro Tomato Juice, which was nearing its expiration date and could no longer be saleable, as an ingredient in the beer and has been given a new lease of life becoming the beer. 

■Utilization of tomato juice inventory generated by the Corona disaster

  ”Omoiro Tomato” is Lycoper’s original brand name, named after the Japanese traditional color “OMOIIRO” and the desire to produce delicious tomatoes, which can be expressed as “OMOI” in Japanese.

The farm where the tomatoes are grown has some of the best sunshine hours in Japan and a temperature difference between day and night that is unique to the highlands, making it ideal for tomato cultivation, resulting in high-quality tomatoes a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. As a result, it produces high-quality tomatoes with a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. 

Lycoper used these “Omoiro Tomatoes” to make a thick, additive-free tomato juice without using any water, salt, or sugar. The product had been well received, but due to the COVIT-19 last year, the number of sales dropped drastically, and Lycoper had a lot of juice in stock that would expire in June 2021.

During this time, we met Lycoper, which had connections as local Yamanashi companies in the prefecture, and proposed the project to them, which led to this collaboration. Then, Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale, the first beer to use vegetables in the Yamanashi Support Project, was born.  We used approximately 500 liters of Omoiro Tomato Juice for the brewing of Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale. 

The grassy flavor, sourness, and deliciousness of the tomatoes are emphasized with celery, Citra hops, kelp, and basil. At the same time, citrus-flavored coriander and many spices are added to create a deep-flavored vegetable cocktail.

■The first release will be in Yamanashi Prefecture!

Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale was brewed for this year’s first-time Support Yamanashi Project. 

To celebrate the release of this beer, we will hold events at two venues in Yamanashi Prefecture on Saturday 8th and Sunday, May 9. Two event venues are Four Hearts Cafe (Kofu City) and Craft Hop Stand (Yamanashi City).

Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale will be on tap, and the second “Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!” and the third “GRAPEVINE” will be on tap at both restaurants at the same time. Everyone, please come to the event, try beers, then compare the past products of the Yamanashi Support Project.

Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale will go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 21, and our online store will start pre-order sale from 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27.

We continue to work with producers and other companies in Yamanashi Prefecture to bring you various “Made in Yamanashi” beers.

【Product Overview】

Name:Far Yeast Omoiro Tomato Ale

Release date:Fri May 21st, 2021

Price:Open Price

Ingredients: Tomato (made in Hokuto Yamanashi), Malt, sugar, spices, kelp

ABV:5.0%

Style:Vegetable Ale with Spices

Product type:Happoshu (Malts content 25~50%)

Brewery:Far Yeast Brewing Genryu Brewery 

Format:350ml CAN, 15L SUS keg

Our online shop here

 

【Suggestion of an alternative better way of drinking】

We recommend drinking it “snow style,” with the rim of the glass decorated with salt, like a cocktail as well. You can enjoy the change in flavor by drinking it with salt.

 

Far Yeast Brewing and Uchu Brewing collaborate for the 11th Off Trail release:『Event Horizon』

Far Yeast Brewing (Head Office: Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan; President: Shiro Yamada) whose mission is to introduce original beers from Japan to the world, released the 11th installment of the “Off Trail” brand: “Event Horizon”, a collaboration with Uchu Brewing, located in Yamanashi Prefecture and a close friend of the brewery.

In November of 2019, we welcomed “Off Trail” into our brand portfolio as our third brand, joining “Far Yeast” and “KAGUA.” The name “Off Trail” is inspired by our aim to innovate and experiment with every batch to discover new recipes and chart undiscovered territory in brewing. These unique brews often contain region-specific specialties or seasonal fruits such as grapes and peaches and are aged in wood barrels that were previously used for wine, sake, or whiskey. 

“Event Horizon” is the long-awaited collaboration with Uchu Brewing Co based in Hokuto City in Yamanashi Prefecture. We have been deepening our relationship with breweries in the same prefecture.

Combining Uchu Brewing’s speciality of brewing IPA-style beers that make the most of hops with Far Yeast Brewing’s experience in blending through its Off Trail series, we came together to create this dry-hopped fruited sour ale.

To get started, the Uchu Brewing Team visited the Far Yeast Genryu Brewery for a tasting session to select barrels for blending the collaboration beer. We blended two beers together for the base beer of Event Horizon: our Japanese Grape Saison (released in Fall 2019) aged in whiskey barrels for 18 months and a kettle soured blonde ale fermented on Brettanomyces and aged in wine barrels for 11 months.

A few weeks later came blending day. The Uchu Brewing team joined us again to participate in the blending and dry-hopping processes at the Genryu Brewery. Together, we racked the barrels to tank and dry-hopped the blend with Citra, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin hops.

Event Horizon is perfect for those who like barrel-aged sours and hop-forward beers. It will take you on a flavor journey that stretches out from roasty whiskey barrel vanillins through the acidity of koshu grapes, terminating in hop-derived tropical and citrus fruit flavors. The expanse of flavors reminded us of that special place at the edge of a black hole where time stands still and the nature of reality comes into question. We hope you will find it as awe inspiring as it is delicious.

<Uchu Brewing>

Uchu Brewing is a microbrewery based in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, run by brewmaster Masahiro Kusunose and creative director Rumiko Suzuki. Representative Kusunose came across craft beer on the west coast of the United States in 2016 and was significantly impacted from the hop aroma of IPAs.

Before Uchu started brewing beer, they grew rice and other crops organically as “space farmers” starting in 2009. They first planted hops in 2016 and in 2017, they DIYed their brewery and started brewing, aiming to create a sustainable brewery with no environmental impact.  Uchu brewing brews under its motto, “Fresh hops mean everything to brewing good beer.”

https://uchubrewing.com/

【Product Overview】

Product name: Off Trail Event Horizon

 Sales start date: Saturday, April 24th, 2021

Price: Open price

Ingredients: Malt (from Germany and U.K.), grapes, hops, wheat malt, sugar

Style: Dry Hopped Barrel Aged Saison and Sour Blonde Ale with Koshu Grapes

ABV: 7.5%.

Category: Happoshu (over 50% malt)

Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing Genryu Brewery (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)

Specifications: 330ml bottle, 750ml bottle, 10L keg