~Far Yeast Brewing Yamanashi Support Project~ A special seasonal beer brewed with fresh hops picked that morning in Hokuto City, "Far Yeast Farm to Brew 2022" will be released on Sunday, September 4th.

Far Yeast Brewing will begin accepting pre-orders for "Far Yeast Farm to Brew 2022," made with fresh hops from Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture , on Sunday, September 4th, with pre-orders starting at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, August 30th .

■ Initiative with Kobayashi Hop Farm, which continues hop cultivation in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture

Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, is the place where full-scale hop cultivation first began in Japan. In the past, there were many growers, but now the number has drastically decreased, with most of the farmers having withdrawn. In the midst of this, hop farmer Yoshitoshi Kobayashi moved to Hokuto City and began cultivating hops in 2016 in an effort to carry on the tradition of hop cultivation in Yamanashi.

We support the efforts of Mr. Kobayashi, who is also based in Yamanashi, and want to work together to spread the appeal of hops grown in Hokuto City, so we have been brewing beer using hops from Kobayashi Hop Farm.

The new release, "Far Yeast Farm to Brew," is a fresh hop beer made with fresh hops harvested that morning at Kobayashi Hop Farm, which are then added to the brewing kettle on the same day. This beer was first attempted as the seventh installment of our "Yamanashi Support Project" in 2021, and was so well-received that we've decided to brew it again this year.

The product name "Farm to Brew" was inspired by the phrase "Farm to Table," which means "from the farm to the dining table." By consuming locally produced products, it is a sustainable initiative that reduces the environmental impact associated with transportation and warehouse management .

■ A special beer only available at this time of year, made with fresh hops picked that morning and brewed on the same day.

In the US states of Washington and Oregon, hop fields are located close to breweries, so many breweries brew fresh hop beers that can only be enjoyed during the hop harvest season.

Following this culture, fresh hop beer made with domestically grown hops is gaining attention in Japan, but there are currently few places in Japan where hops are grown, and only a few breweries have hop fields near their breweries. The key to fresh hop beer is how well the delicate aromatic components of hops, which begin to oxidize and deteriorate quickly from the moment they are harvested, can be preserved. With "Far Yeast Farm to Brew," we attempted to minimize the time between harvest and adding them to the brewing kettle, maximizing the aroma and flavor of fresh hops. This is a special seasonal beer that can only be made because the hop fields and brewery are located in the same Yamanashi Prefecture.

Hop harvesting and beer brewing took place in late July. Just like last year, Genryu Brewery staff visited Kobayashi's farm in Hokuto City early in the morning to begin the harvest, harvesting 40kg of hops over the course of about four hours. They immediately transported the hops to Genryu Brewery, where they manually disassembled and crushed each hop to effectively extract the aromatic components, then placed them directly into the brewing kettle.

[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids=" https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/IMG_5902.jpg|,https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/DSC02176.jpg|"]

[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids=" https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/IMG_6061.jpg|Harvesting at Kobayashi Hop Farm, https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/IMG_6076.jpg|"]

[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids=" https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/DSC02466.jpg|This year, Mr. Kobayashi visited Genryu Brewery again to help with the brewing.,https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/DSC02769.jpg|"]

■ Kolsch style that makes the most of the natural aroma of fresh hops from the fields

As with last year, we have chosen the simple, traditional Kolsch style to deliver the natural, fresh aroma of fresh hops straight from the fields.

A small amount of German Merkur hops was used for bittering, but the rest was made entirely from hops harvested at Kobayashi Hop Farm in Hokuto City. The three varieties used this time were "Sorachi Ace," characterized by its cedar, cypress, and lemongrass aroma; "Comet," with its unique "Wild American" aroma of citrus, grassy notes, and herbal notes; and "Sterling," characterized by its mild, refreshing bitterness. The malt and hops combine to create a clean, drinkable, and fruity flavor.

The Yamanashi Support Project "Far Yeast Farm to Brew 2022" will be available for general sale from Sunday, September 4th, and pre-orders will begin on our online store from 1:00 PM on Tuesday, August 30th.

We will continue to work with producers and businesses in Yamanashi Prefecture to deliver a variety of Made-in-Yamanashi beers.

[Product overview]

[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids=" https://fyb-assets.hatte.jp/2022/08/cd5b27e21672cb8f48551b553f35c5b2.jpg|"]

Far Yeast Farm to Brew 2022
(Far East Farm to Brew 2022)

Sales start date: September 4th (Sunday)
Suggested retail price: Open price
Ingredients: Malt (Belgian and German), hops, wheat
Alcohol content: 5.0%
Style: Fresh Hop Kölsch
Item: Beer
Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Specifications: 350ml can
※ Click here to purchase from the online store

[About Kobayashi Hop Farm]

Kobayashi Hop Farm is located in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, at the southern foot of Mount Yatsugatake, a pioneering area for hop cultivation. Test cultivation began in Hokuto City in 2015, and full-scale hop cultivation and beer sales began in 2016. They are committed to the preservation and development of hop cultivation. While most domestic hops are grown by contract farmers of major beer manufacturers, Kobayashi Hop Farm does not have exclusive contracts and sells its hops freely, thereby spreading the appeal of hops to a wider audience. http://hokutohops.com/ 

[About the Yamanashi Support Project]

Far Yeast Brewing's "Yamanashi Support Project" began in July 2020 with the desire to revitalize local industry through brewing beer using local produce. In October of the same year, the company relocated its headquarters from Shibuya to Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, where the brewery is located, further strengthening collaboration with producers and businesses within the prefecture. To date, the company has brewed products using local produce, including "Peach Haze," made with peaches from Yamanashi City; "Ume-kin' Me Crazy!", made with plums from Kosuge Village, where the brewery is located; "GRAPEVINE," made with grapes from Koshu City; and "Omoiro Tomato Ale," made with tomatoes from Hokuto City. Along with their beer, they are promoting the appeal of Yamanashi across the country.

<Contact for inquiries regarding this matter>
●For media representatives, please click here
Far Yeast Brewing Co., Ltd. Public Relations Officer: Sasaki
Mail: pr@faryeast.com Phone: 03-6849-2812
●Customers, liquor stores, and restaurants, please click here
Mail: sales@faryeast.com Phone: 050-3135-3926