[News Release] Limited release of "Uijin × KAGUA," the first collaboration beer between Japanese craft beers
Nippon Craft Beer Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shiro Yamada) will be releasing a limited edition collaboration beer, "Uijin × KAGUA," with its fragrant Japanese ale, "Kaguwa KAGUA," starting Saturday, May 2, 2015.
"Uijin × KAGUA" is a collaboration beer with "Hatsujin Uiijn," a beer brand from "RIO BREWING & CO.", a brewery run by Ryohei Sugawara, an honorary knight of the Order of Belgian Beer.
Both "Hatsujin Uiijn" and "Kagua" are brewed in Belgium, and share the commonality of being made to be enjoyed with Japanese food. This time, we have combined the drinkability of "Hatsujin Uiijn" with the rich aroma of "Kagua", and brewed a limited edition of just one batch. The brewing process uses yuzu from Kochi Prefecture and grape sansho pepper from Wakayama Prefecture, which are also used in the original "Kagua".
Sugawara is the CEO of M's Kitchen, which operates the Belgian beer specialty store Delirium Cafe and Bel Orb, and "Uijin x KAGUA" was brewed to commemorate the opening of "Delirium Cafe GINZA." The store is scheduled to serve "Uijin x KAGUA" for the first time on its opening day, May 1st.
Bottled Japanese Craft Beer is scheduled to begin shipping to the general public in mid-May. Starting today, we will begin accepting orders on our official store page. http://www.nipponcraftbeer.com/store
<Product overview>
- Product name: "Uijin × KAGUA"
- Sales start date: Saturday, May 2, 2015
- Price: Open price
- Ingredients: Malt (barley malt, wheat malt), hops, wheat, yuzu, Japanese pepper, sugar
- Alcohol content: 6%
- Style: Belgian White
- Specifications: 15L keg and 330ml bottle
About RIO BREWING & CO.
Rio Brewing was named after our company's Ryohei Sugawara, an Honorary Knight of Belgian Beer, who is nicknamed Rio in Belgium. We do not have a specific brewery, but brew mainly in Belgium, using the special yeast of each brewery to create high-quality beers that are unique and tailored to the delicate sensibilities of Japanese people. We also collaborate with many top breweries in Belgium, and Rio Brewing's aim is to connect Japan, Belgium, and the world through beer.
[About KAGUA, the Japanese-flavored ale]
This flagship brand of Nippon Craft Beer Co., Ltd. was launched in March 2012 with the idea of "making beer that complements Japanese cuisine enjoyable for people all over the world." The original recipe (mixture) was designed based on the concept of "a fragrant aroma that complements Japanese cuisine," and is brewed at a partner brewery in Belgium using yuzu and sansho pepper, two herbs that are symbols of Japan.
There are two varieties in the lineup: "Blanc," a light-colored, top-fermented beer made with wheat, and "Rouge," a dark-colored, top-fermented beer made with roasted malt.A major feature of these beers is that they can be enjoyed with different dishes, just like white and red wines.
Our products are sold in famous and popular restaurants that have been awarded stars in the Michelin Guide, as well as luxury hotels and restaurants both in Japan and overseas, and are currently sold in 10 countries around the world, including Japan.
*Since "KAGUA" uses yuzu and Japanese pepper, it is classified as a happoshu (low-malt beer) under Japan's liquor tax law.
About Japan Craft Beer Co., Ltd.
Our mission is to "Democratize beer" - to "restore the diversity and richness of beer, which has become a standardized mass-produced product due to industrialization." We have two brands, "KAGUA," a Japanese-flavored ale, and "Far Yeast," a Tokyo-themed ale, and we are promoting unique beers to the world based on each brand concept. [Website] http://www.nipponcraftbeer.com/ [facebook] http://www.facebook.com/kagua.beer/ [twitter] http://twitter.com/kaguabeer/