The fourth installment of the collaboration beer series with Fukuoka BEERSONIC, "Far Yeast WESTBOUND 4th India Pale Lager," will be released in limited quantities from Wednesday, January 20th.
Far Yeast WESTBOUND 4th India Pale Lager will be available from Wednesday, January 20th as the fourth installment in the WESTBOUND series, a collaboration beer with BEERSONIC, a specialty craft beer shop in Fukuoka.
We are also collaborating with BEERSONIC, an indie liquor store in Fukuoka that connects craft beer with various cultures, at our Fukuoka directly managed store BEERHOLIC, which opened last year.
The "WESTBOUND" series of collaborative beers, in which Far Yeast and our company have teamed up, has so far brewed three limited edition beers: "Far Yeast WESTBOUND SESSION IPA" and "Far Yeast WESTBOUND Session IPA 2nd" in 2018, and "Far Yeast WESTBOUND 3rd Brut IPA" in 2019.
<Information about past collaboration beers can be found here>
・First release: Far Yeast WESTBOUND Session IPA
・Second release: "Far Yeast WESTBOUND Session IPA 2nd"
・Third release: "Far Yeast WESTBOUND 3rd Brut IPA"
The fourth in the series, "Far Yeast WESTBOUND 4th India Pale Lager," is the first lager-style beer brewed in-house. Five types of hops, primarily Nelson Sauvin, are used to create this refreshing, citrusy, and crisp India Pale Lager, making it easy to pair with food.
The can design is a completely original design by illustrator Toyameg, who brings a pop worldview to Fukuoka and has a long history of collaborating with artists and brands.
"Far Yeast WESTBOUND 4th India Pale Lager" is scheduled to arrive at liquor stores and restaurants nationwide from Wednesday, January 20th. Advance orders will begin on the online store from 12:00 on Friday, January 8th, with shipments scheduled to begin on Friday, January 15th. In addition, it will be available for pre-sale from Friday, January 8th at "BEERSONIC" and "BEERHOLIC" in Fukuoka and nearby areas.
Brewing at Genryu Brewery (left: Seigo Fukahori)
~From BEERSONIC CEO Seigo Fukahori~
WESTBOUND 4th = "WB4" is a collaboration beer with Far Yeast Brewing for the first time in a long time. This is FYB's first in-house brewed lager style beer. My first encounter with the company was with "Tokyo Blonde." It's now a golden ale, but at the time it was still brewed in lager style by a contract brewer. That "lager" was the beer that got me into the craft beer industry. He then opened a liquor store specializing in craft beer in Fukuoka, brewed IPAs in collaboration with the company three times, and since spring 2020 has been involved in the management of the company's third directly managed store, "BEERHOLIC," in Fukuoka. Our lifestyles changed when our new relationship with the company took a step up and the collaboration beer came to a halt. Amidst this sense of stagnation, we realized once again that beer is an item that allows people to share joy and pleasure, and we felt the desire to once again deliver collaboration beers in a new way. With the idea of returning to our roots and starting anew, we proposed a collaboration on a lager style beer, and our thoughts were aligned with the company's staff, leading to this release. The beer was brewed with staff from Yamanashi, and the packaging was designed by Toyameg, a friend from Fukuoka, who also wrote a QR code on the label that tells the story of how the beer was brewed with his friends in Fukuoka. Nothing would make me happier than if "WB4" could bring a little more joy and brightness to your daily lives. BEERSONIC Representative Seigo Fukahori
~From the Far Yeast Brewing Brewing Team~
The fourth in the WESTBOUND series, a collaboration beer with BEERSONIC, is Far Yeast Brewing's first in-house lager beer.
It has been three and a half years since Genryu Brewery started, and although we have always had the desire to brew lager beer, the timing has never been right and we have not been able to do so until now.
I was looking for an opportunity, and at that time, Fukahori-san asked me, "Let's do a lager!", which led to this collaboration.
This lager is India Pale Lager style.
We used Nelson Sauvin hops, which are used throughout the WESTBOUND series, and this time we used Lemon Drop hops.
The emphasis was on cleanliness and drinkability rather than flashy hop flavor.
As I was discussing with Fukahori what kind of beer we wanted to make and creating a recipe, I imagined drinking beer at BEERSONIC.
Among the many different beer styles and flavors available, this product was created with the aim of creating a beer that is like a snapshot of a conversation in a bar, where someone says, "A beer like this really puts you at ease."
We hope you enjoy the aroma, bitterness, flavor, and fragrant malt character of the hops, while also enjoying the feeling of everything being cleared up by the refreshing finish with herbs and lemon.
[Product overview]
Product name: Far Yeast WESTBOUND 4th India Pale Lager
(Far East Westbound Force India Pale Lager)
Sales start date: January 20th (Wednesday)
Suggested retail price: 500 yen (excluding tax)
Ingredients: Malt, hops
Alcohol content: 4.8%
Style: India Pale Lager
Item: Beer
Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Specifications: 350ml can, 15L barrel
Purchase from the online store here:
[Limited Edition] WESTBOUND 4th IPL 6-pack
[Limited Edition] WESTBOUND 4th IPL 12-Piece Set [Free Shipping]
[About BEERSONIC]
Since April 2017, with the theme of "Let the hops shine," the group has been planning and holding events at various locations, mainly in Fukuoka City, including cafes, galleries, apparel shops, and even public baths, based in a room in their home, which has been approved for liquor sales.
In April 2018, they opened a new 13-story store in Takasago, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, featuring "Far Yeast WESTBOUND Session IPA" and a standing bar.
In May 2020, Far Yeast Brewing opened a liquor store inside BEERHOLIC, its third directly managed store in Japan, near Ohori Park in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City. The store not only sells craft beer but also offers suggestions for a quality lifestyle with beer.