Best Japanese Beer Brands

Japanese beer is dominated by a few historic and well-known brands. But there are also countless interesting craft beers to explore. Prices vary wildly, and availability can be hit or miss.

In this post, we cover the top Japanese beer brands to know – from mainstream to micro. You’ll learn what they taste like and where to find them.

After you’re done, we’d love to hear your thoughts on your favorite Japanese beer brands.

Pale Lagers & Japanese Rice Beer Brands

Japan’s beer industry was heavily influenced by German brewers, ingredients, and styles during its formative decades.

The major brands that formed during this period have mostly abandoned these roots as they’ve grown. Instead, they’ve industrialized and have moved to the ubiquitous international style like Heineken, Budweiser, or Tsing Tao.

It’s a common assumption that mainstream brands from Japan are rice beers. And while it’s true that some contain rice, none of these beers uses the grain exclusively. This is important to know if you’re looking for gluten-free beer—all of these beers contain gluten.

Sapporo Premium Beer: Japan’s First Beer Brand

Sapporo Premium is the first Japanese beer most Americans have tried. You can find it at sushi restaurants and izakayas across the US and Canada.

Asahi Super Dry is the most similar beer to Sapporo Premium. They’re both light, refreshing, and subtle. Sapporo has a little bit more sweetness than Asahi, however. But the difference is minor.

Sapporo Premium is commonly referred to as a rice lager, but it also contains corn and starch. This is one of the reasons Sapporo is so light and soft.

Like most beers, the draft version (on-tap) will be unpasteurized. This adds slightly more character than the bottled version. But either way, this is about as light of a beer as you’ll encounter.

Ingredients: Malted barley, rice, corn, starch, hops, water

• Get more info about Sapporo Premium with this popular post.

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Asahi Super Dry: The Most Popular Beer in Japan

Asahi Super Dry is the main competitor to Sapporo Premium. It’s a little dryer (surprise) but is otherwise remarkably similar.

Expect a feather-light body, with minimal hop bitterness, ample carbonation, and a soft texture. An unpasteurized version of this beer is produced in a can and is worth seeking out.

Like Sapporo Premium, Super Dry is an adjunct lager. This means malted barley isn’t the only grain used for brewing. Rice, corn, and starch all lead to a soft and ultra-mild profile.

This is the most popular beer brand in Japan. Super Dry sparked The Dry Wars upon its release and has not relinquished the market’s top spot since.

Ingredients: Malted barley, rice, corn, starch, hops, water

• Asahi Super Dry is easily one of the most famous Japanese beer brands. If you’re looking to dive deeper, check out this detailed post.

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Kirin Ichiban: All-Malt Japanese Lager

Kirin Ichiban is a step up in intensity and flavor from the first two beers. It’s still a relatively light international lager overall, however. It’s not as dry as Asahi Super Dry, but we wouldn’t call it sweet either.

Kirin brings more color, head retention, and body. This is because it is brewed only with malted barley. It has a light toasty quality, with mild bitterness, and a soft texture.

Notes of fresh flowers, hay, bubblegum, and honey add complexity to an otherwise smooth and uncomplicated beer.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Orion Draft: Premium Okinawan Biru

Orion is arguably the most complex beer on this list. As the name implies, this beer is unpasteurized (draft). This means it retains a lot more character. And it’s also brewed in Japan, which makes it the only historic beer brand on this list that is.

Orion has a golden color with minimal head retention. It’s as light as the previous beers with a soft texture and low hop bitterness. But the more you dive into a glass of this Okinawan classic, the more you’ll find.

Tasting notes include lightly toasted grain, honey nut cereal, lemon and orange peel, fresh and dried flowers, wet concrete, and ripe banana.

That’s a lot of complexity for a light, international lager. This is one reason why it’s one of the most popular Japanese beer brands in the world.

Ingredients: Malted barley, rice, corn, starch, hops, water

• Check out this post if you want to learn more about this classic Okinawan beer.

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Sapporo Reserve: Sapporo Takes on Kirin

Sapporo Reserve is an all-malt lager and a direct competitor with Kirin. And in many ways, it’s been successful. They both have a little more character and body than standard Japanese beers like Sapporo Premium and Super Dry.

Compared to Kirin, Sapporo Reserve is slightly more bitter. But otherwise, it’s a bit less complicated. The hops are fruity with Meyer lemon and berry notes on the nose. There’s also a mineral, saline quality to the finish.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

• For more info on Sapporo Reserve, check out this popular post.

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Yebisu: Premium Japanese Pale Lager

Yebisu is an old Japanese beer brand, originally produced by the Japan Beer Brewery in Tokyo. It later merged with the Sapporo brewery and is now their premium beer line.

This pale lager is brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Law). That means Yebisu only contains barley, hops, water, and yeast.

Yebisu is more complex than Sapporo with more hop bitterness and body. It’s not available outside of Japan, however. Hopefully, this will change as fans of Japanese beers have been clamoring for the return of Yebisu.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Echigo Beer: Koshihikari Rice Lager

This is the first microbrew from Japan, and still one of the best. Echigo Koshihikari is the ultimate rice beer. It’s also one of the only Japanese craft beers with a reasonable price tag.

Echigo Koshihikari is brewed using the laborious German-style decoction mashing method. This squeezes more flavor out of what would otherwise be a feather-light and smooth beer.

This pale lager has a pale gold color, with floral, citrusy, and herbal hop aromas. The palate is soft with a mildly sweet flavor. There are few lagers that are cleaner and more refreshing than Echigo that still have character.

Tasting notes include toasted malt, steamed rice, honey, lemon zest, and fresh flowers.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, Koshihikari rice, wheat malt, Hersbrucker hops, and water

• Check out this informative post to learn more about Koshihikari Echigo Beer.

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Baeren Classic: Dortmunder-Style Biru from Japan

If you like pale lagers, but find them lacking in character, then this may be the beer for you. Baeren Classic is made in the Dortmunder-style (think DAB, but more complex). Think smooth German lager with a little more character.

And true to the style, Baeren Classic has a subtle herbal aroma, balanced hop/malt character, and a crisp finish. There is a faint honey sweetness on impact that quickly fades.

Tasting notes include toasted malt, biscuit, hay, mint, orange peel, white pepper, wet concrete, hojicha, and (faint) caramel.

Baeren Classic is a delicious beer. The only downside is that it’s hard to find and kind of pricey. Prices in Japan are much lower, however.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Japanese Pale Ale Beer Brands

Pale ales from Japan are typically outstanding. They’re often made in an American craft style. And true to the Japanese craft beer movement, they typically show relative restraint in hop bitterness, impressive complexity, and a soft mouthfeel.

Yona Yona: American-Style Japanese Pale Ale

Yona Yona is arguably the archetype of Japanese pale ale. It is elegantly balanced and complex.

Yoho Brewing is responsible for this classy pale. It’s a beer with a citrusy, hop-dominated aroma, and a malt-forward flavor. Like most Japanese craft beers, it is softer and smoother than many other beers in its category.

Yona Yona has a copper color with off-white head with good retention. It’s aromatic with a range of citrus notes including lemon, grapefruit, and yuzu. Fresh flowers, soap, and toast are also present.

The flavor of Yona Yona is dry, semi-soft, and medium-bodied. Tasting notes include light toast, biscuit, cilantro, Meyer lemon, wet concrete, caramel, saltwater taffy, grass, and pine.

Yona Yona means every night. This is an appropriate name for such a complex and drinkable craft beer.

Ingredients: pale and caramel malt, Cascade hops

• Learn more about Yona Yona Pale Ale in this detailed post.

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Lucky Dog Pale Ale: Craft Kyoto Beer

Lucky Dog is an awesome pale ale that fans of American craft pales will appreciate. It has a balanced profile that’s robust, malty, and hoppy.

The Kizakura brewery from Kyoto is a respectable sake producer. They got involved in the Japanese craft beer movement one year after it began in 1994. They make a wide range of beer types, and Lucky Dog is one of their finest.

Lucky Dog Pale has a bronze-caramel color with a fluffy tan head. It has an aromatic profile that’s balanced between malt and hops. Aromatic notes include toast, biscuit, caramel, toasted pineapple, orange oil, thyme, honey, and a touch of funk.

On the palate, Lucky Dog is very soft, mildly sweet, with elevated, scrubbing carbonation. This is a rich pale ale but is very drinkable. The alcohol content is 5% abv. For a Japanese pale, Lucky Dog packs a surprising hop bite (55 IBU). It’s brisk and citrusy with a long finish.

Other tasting notes include grapefruit, dried leaves, burnt sugar, and black tea. Lucky Dog has a lot going on!

Ingredients: Pilsner and caramel malt, Saaz and Cascade hops, water

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Kyoto Yamadanishiki Ale

This is another beer from the well-known sake brewery Kizakura. With this pale rice ale, they nod to their roots by brewing with a bit of Yamadanishiki sake rice.

Kyoto Yamadanishiki Ale has good head retention and a little bit of sediment. The aroma is subdued with notes of toasted barley, fresh bread, dried flowers, wet concrete, and peanut shells.

Like the sibling beer Lucky Dog, Yamadanishiki Ale is silky-soft. It’s fresh, dry, savory, and moderately bitter. Carbonation is restrained. Tasting notes include sour grains, chalk, almond, hay, orange peel, and lemon oil.

There’s no way around it—this is a strange beer. It has fewer sake notes than you might expect and tastes more like a lager than an ale.

Where Kyoto Yamadanishiki Ale shines is with sushi and sashimi pairing. It’s a nice beer on its own, but there are superior options if food isn’t part of the game plan.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, Saaz hops, Yamada Nishiki rice, water

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Kawaba Twilight Ale: Excellent Japanese Pale Ale

Kawaba is a Gunma craft brewery that uses soft spring water from the nearby mountains. They make a variety of pretty good beers, and I’m especially fond of their Twilight Ale. 

This is a golden orange-colored beer with a slight haze. The head is puffy and white with good retention. 

On the nose, Twilight Ale is a mix of biscuity, floral, and citrusy notes. 

The first sip of this ale is semi-soft and dry. It’s got a honeyed and malty taste and some very well-integrated hop bitterness. Tasting notes include orange zest, pie crust, peanut shells, and light brine. 

Kawaba calls Twilight Ale a new style: Japanese pale ale. I’m not willing to accept this as a new style yet, but someday it may be recognized as such. 

This is one of my new favorite Japanese craft beers. Everything is in balance with great depth.

Ingredients: pale malt, hops, water

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IPAs from Japan – Japanese Beer Brands

India Pale Ales are not a style of beer that was embraced by the Japanese beer industry early on. However, many craft beer breweries have made some fantastic examples of this brisk, hoppy classic.

Echigo Flying IPA: Hoppy Japanese Beer

Echigo only makes outstanding beer. So it makes sense that their American-style IPA would be fantastic.

Flying IPA is a hop-forward beer with solid head retention and a fragrant aroma. Citrusy, floral, and piney hops dominate the nose, with savory malt adding balance.

This is a dry beer with a soft mouthfeel and a crisp, long finish. Carbonation is moderate to elevated. Hop bitterness is brisk, but not overpowering (55 IBU).

Tasting notes include lemon and lime oil, dried apricot, pineapple, fresh flowers, faint caramel, honey, roasted malt, and fresh-steamed barley.

We’re huge fans of this microbrew. Echigo Flying IPA is still Japanese, so expect balance and somewhat restrained bitterness for the style.

Ingredients: Malted barley, Citra hops, water

• Learn more about Echigo Beer Flying IPA in this detailed post.

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Aooni IPA: Yoho’s Blue Demon Brew

Yoho Brewing beers are all over this list. Their American-style IPA, Aooni, is their most forceful of the group.

This beer is a little hoppier and definitely bolder than Echigo Flying IPA. Still, it retains the smoothness and drinkability that’s a trademark of craft Japanese beer brands.

Aooni has a copper color and moderate head retention. It’s an aromatic beer that’s hop-forward. The nose shows notes of fresh and dried flowers, lemon zest, orange peel, mango, and soap. It’s a little pungent, as well. Honeyed and toasty malt adds balance and complexity.

On the palate, Aooni is soft, dry, and savory. Bitterness seems lighter than its 60 IBU would imply. The same can be said about the body of this India Pale Ale. The alcohol content is a robust 7% abv, but it seems lighter.

Other tasting notes include lemon oil, rosehip, sour grains, and bubblegum.

Overall, Aooni is impressive in its complexity. It balances hoppy aromatics with a malty flavor and is surprisingly smooth.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Rydeen IPA: Hakkaisan Craft Beer

Similar to Kyoto/Kizakura beer, the Rydeen brand is made by a reputable sake brewer. And they’ve nailed it with this American-style IPA. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to find.

Rydeen IPA is clear with a golden color and good head retention. Carbonation is elevated.

This is an aromatic beer that’s dominated by a floral and citrus character. Toasted malt, soap, fresh flowers, lemon and yuzu peel, orange zest, pear, and spearmint notes all make appearances.

Rydeen Beer IPA has a solid hop bite, a dry flavor, and is mildly malty. The citrusy nature of this beer is confirmed on the palate. Tasting notes include light toast, lavender, peppermint, pine, and ginger.

If you like your beers firm, floral, and citrusy then this is a great beer to try. Salads and mackerel are worth enjoying alongside this complex Japanese craft brew, as well.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Japanese Amber Ale and Red Ale Beer Brands

Amber ales and red ales are two malt-forward beer styles that aren’t commonly found in Japan.

Amber Ales are an offshoot of pale ales that use some caramel malt to add color. This style was one of the leaders of the American craft beer movement.

Red ales are a traditional Irish style with some similarities, but they tend to be gentler and less hoppy.

These beers are not to be confused with the sour Flanders red ale style.

Kawaba Sunrise Ale : Japanese Amber Ale

Kawaba Sunrise Ale is an awesome Japanese beer. It has more malt and color than most would expect from a beer from Japan, but it’s still drinkable and refreshing.

The appearance of this amber ale is striking. It’s clear with a ruby-bronze color and good head retention.

The aromatic intensity of Kawaba Sunrise Ale is moderate and dominated by roasted, caramel, and toasty malt characteristics. Other notes include biscuit, fresh straw, strawberry, raspberry, and black tea.

On the palate, Sunrise Ale is way milder than its nose or color would indicate. It’s dry with a soft impact but a lean texture. It’s savory and medium-bodied with a lingering finish. Hop bitterness is relatively light at 24.7 IBUs. Specific tasting notes include sour grains, apple, grapefruit, toast, wet concrete, dried leaves, and black pepper.

There’s a lot going on in this Japanese beer. It’s complex but drinkable. It makes an ideal complement to cooked Japanese dishes like yakitori, teriyaki, nitsuke, and aradaki.

Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, water

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Echigo Red Ale : Super Fruity Niigata Craft Beer

Echigo beers are all over this list. And that shouldn’t be a surprise. They’re Japan’s first craft brewery and still one of the best. 

Echigo Red Ale is quite unique and very pretty. It’s easily one of the fruitiest beers on the list. And it’s hard to categorize. You could possibly classify it as a heavy Irish-style red ale or a lighter American amber. But it essentially creates its own style. 

The color of Echigo Red Ale is a deep crimson. It kind of looks like cranberry juice. It’s clear, with a white, fluffy head that dissipates quickly. 

Echigo has a restrained aromatic intensity that’s very fruity. There are notes of pomegranate, raspberry jam, Meyer lemon, orange zest, and also toast. 

The flavor of this red ale is semi-dry with a supple texture. There’s a moderate amount of resinous hop bitterness, followed by a clean finish. Tasting notes include biscuit, caramel, black tea, red apple, orange, and grapefruit. 

Overall, this is a pretty cool beer. It seems like the brewers at Echigo decided to make something unique, pretty, and complex.

Ingredients: pale malt, caramel malt, Amarillo hops, Cascade hops, water

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Dark Lagers – Japanese Beer Brands

With Japanese beer’s Germanic roots, dark lagers like Schwarzbier were a staple of most of the major producers. As these breweries industrialized over the years, more adjuncts (rice, corn, starch, etc.) found their way into these products.

This doesn’t mean dark lagers from the big breweries aren’t good. In Japan, you’ll find more options, but most have been pulled from the American market.

Craft beer breweries in Japan are making some dark, bottom-fermented beers of world-class quality. The many Germans that helped nurture the early Japanese beer industry would be proud.

Sapporo Premium Black Beer: Japanese Dark Lager

Japanese black lagers have a long history in the country. Germany was the model Sapporo used when it founded the first beer brewery in Japan. The German Schwarzbier style is the model for Sapporo Black, though loosely. Today, it would be better defined as an international dark lager style.

Sapporo Black is quite dark in color, with amber highlights. It has a tan head with good retention.

The aroma is restrained but roasted in character. Coffee and dark chocolate character dominates. There are also notes of brown sugar, honey, and chestnut.

Sapporo Black is slightly sweet with a medium body. Carbonation is low, which accentuates a pillowy texture.

In many ways, this beer tastes similar to Guinness. However, it is much leaner in body. Sour rice notes lead to a semi-crip finish.

Ingredients: Malted barley, rice, corn, starch, hops, water

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Baeren Schwarz: Authentic German-Style Dark Lager from Iwate

Baeren makes some of the most authentically German beers outside of Bavaria, this Schwarzbier included. Though beers like this would have probably been made in the early days of the major Japanese breweries, they probably never achieved this level of technical excellence.

Baeren Schwarz is true to the classic German-style: it is very dark but drinkable. Roastiness is subdued and there are no acrid flavors. The aroma is subdued, and the flavor is rich but not heavy.

Hop bitterness on Baeren Schwarz is mild, minty, and citrusy. Tasting notes include roasted malt, espresso beans, dark chocolate, almond, caramel, cola, and saltwater taffy.

Overall, this is a well-balanced and smooth Japanese craft beer. It’s also a near-textbook representation of the Schwarzbier style.

Ingredients: malted barley, hops, water

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Dark Ales – Stout & Porter Japanese Beer Brands

Dark, rich, and malty top-fermented ales are mostly an endeavor of creative Japanese craft breweries.

The established macro-brands, and the industry overall, started by making Germanic lager beers. And today they still brew mostly lagers, though they’ve switched to industrial (international-style) products.

As beer has become increasingly mainstream in Japan, space for malty, strong beers has grown. This is some of the most exciting biru coming out of Japan.

Yoho Tokyo Black: Dark Japanese Beer

There are four Yoho beers on this list. And this is no mistake. Their craft beers are some of the best in Japan. 

Tokyo Black is their darkest beer on the list. They call it a porter, but if it were called a stout, nobody would complain. 

Tokyo Black is almost jet black with red highlights. It has a long-lasting and dense cap of tan foam.

The aroma of this porter is restrained and dominated by roasted notes. There are also notes of biscuit, caramel, dark chocolate, and dark coffee beans. 

The flavor of this beer is more of the same: roasty, chocolatey, and coffee-like. There are also interesting flavors of mineral, saline, and lemon peel. 

Tokyo Black has a moderate amount of hops for the style. But it also has a bit of acrid, roasted bitterness. 

Overall, Yoho Brewing’s Tokyo Black is one of the harder, more masculine beers on the list. But it still has that drinkable, soft style that’s common for Japanese beers.

Ingredients: malted barley, hops, water

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Minoh Stout: Craft Osaka Beer

We try not to put beers on this list that aren’t available outside of Japan. However, Minoh Stout is so good, we had to mention it. It has won a handful of international beer competition awards and is downright delicious.

Minoh Stout is dark brown – almost black. This stout is aromatic with notes of roasted coffee and malt, almond, and sour grains. Subtle herbal hop aromas provide balance.

On the palate, Minoh is lean, fairly dry, and crisp. Unsurprisingly, the flavor is malt-dominant with notes of espresso, toffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, and sour barley. There is a mild astringency from the roasted malt.

If you’re in Japan, it pays to look out for Minoh Stout, or any of their other beers. They’re too good to miss. If you’re in Osaka, check out one of their Beer Belly gastropubs.

Ingredients: malted barley, hops, water

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Echigo Stout: An Irish Stout from Niigata

Echigo Stout is a rich and bold beer with remarkable drinkability. It’s brewed in Niigata by Echigo Beer, the first craft brewery in Japan.

This Japanese stout is almost black in color and has a creamy white head with good retention. The aroma is modest and dominated by roasted and milk chocolate.

Echigo Stout tastes rich and dry. It is soft on impact and lean on the mid-palate. Hop bitterness and carbonation are moderate. The flavor is again roasty with nutty and chocolatey notes, as well.

Additional tasting notes include caramel, toast, dark-roasted coffee, and red raisin.

This is definitely a beer to try with oysters or rich Japanese food.

Ingredients: pale and crystal malt, malted wheat, hops (Zythos, Hallertauer, Northern Brewer), water

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Iwate Kura Oyster Stout: English-Inspired Japanese Beer Brand

The English oyster stout is a sub-category of the sweet stout. This classic type of dark British ale is not very common, but Iwate Kura Bakushu was smart to brew one of their own.

Whole oysters from nearby Hirota bay are used in the boil, adding umami and briny minerality to the stout. Additionally, English East Kent Golding hops are used for an authentic flavor profile.

Iwate Kura Oyster Stout is a very dark beer with a pillowy tan head. It has a mild aromatic intensity with roasted and floral notes. On the palate, it’s creamy on impact, becoming lean on the mid-palate, and finishes with a faint sweetness. Hop bitterness is moderate.

Tasting notes include milk chocolate, roasted coffee beans, honey, fresh flowers, thyme, and sea salt.

Iwate Kura Oyster Stout is another stout that you have to try with oysters, of course! It’s also very nice with milk chocolate.

Ingredients: malted barley, East Kent Golding hops, water

Adjunct Ingredients: Sanriku coast Hirota Bay whole oysters

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Japanese Hefeweizen Beer Brands

The German roots of Japan’s beer brewing industry have yielded a number of quality weissbiers since the craft beer movement took off.

Hitachino Nest Weizen: German-Inspired Wheat Beer

Hitachino is most well-known for their White Ale, but this Weizen is worth a long look.

The appearance of this German-inspired beer is a light, hazy yellowish-orange. It’s not as foamy or carbonated as most beers of this style.

Hitachino Nest Weizen is fairly aromatic. It has an herbal and yeasty profile. Notes include dough, light toast, fresh flowers, honey, and wet concrete.

On the palate, this wheat beer is clean, semi-soft, and surprisingly savory. Hop bitterness is quite low (12 IBU) which should be expected. A complex medley of tasting notes includes fresh bread, sourdough, hay, honeyed malt, lemon zest, yuzu juice, lavender, brine, sage, and rosemary.

Hitachino Nest Weizen is as drinkable and mild as a German-inspired wheat beer should be, but with a ton of layers.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, malted wheat, hops (Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo), water

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White Ales – Belgian-Inspired Japanese Beer Brands

Japanese craft beer breweries have embraced many beer styles other than German. Today, many of the most interesting and beloved Japanese beers are Belgian-inspired.

Belgian beers aren’t restrictive in ingredients like German brews. This allows for the use of regional ingredients and greater creativity.

There are a growing number of craft, Belgian-style wheat beers worth seeking out.

Hitachino Nest White Ale: Ibaraki Craft Beer

This modern classic Japanese beer is a take on the Belgian witbier. It is has become the iconic wheat beer from Japan.

Hitachino White Ale has a hazy, light golden color and excellent head retention. It has a very soft texture and a dry, tart finish. This is a spicy and citrusy Japanese beer with low hop bitterness.

The spice of Hitachino White Ale is derived from yeast, coriander, and nutmeg. The addition of orange peel and orange juice also lends to the fresh fruitiness of this craft beer. Toasty malt and mild herbal hops are well-balanced and add complexity.

Overall, this is a great Japanese beer brand for anyone that finds beer too bitter or harsh. Hitachino Nest White Ale is pretty, smooth, and delicious.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, flaked and torrefied wheat, hops (Perle, Celleia, Amarillo, Styrian Goldings), water

Adjunct ingredients: coriander, nutmeg, orange peel, orange juice

• Get the full story on Hitachino Nest White Ale in this detailed post.

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Wednesday Cat: Suiyoubi no Neko

This is another fun and complex take on a Belgian witbier. Brewer Yoho makes a lot of outstanding craft beers with soft textures and mild dispositions for their respective styles.

Wednesday Cat uses pale malt, wheat, coriander, and orange peels to great effect. There are classic Wit notes of clove, honey, and pepper. Head retention and complexity are less than Hitachino White Ale, however.

Suiyoubi no Neko (suu ee yo ew bee no neh koh) may be hard to pronounce, but it’s worth trying to find. And this is not an easy beer to track down.

The can has an awesome logo, and the soft, approachable style is great for drinkers that don’t love hop bitterness.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, wheat

Adjunct ingredients: coriander, orange peel

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Kyoto White Yuzu Ale: A Japanese Twist on a Belgian Classic

Kyoto Beer is made by the Kizakura sake brewery of Fushimi, Kyoto. Their (semi) craft beers are unique and diverse in style. Kyoto White Yuzu is easily one of the best.

Unlike the other, more faithful Wit styles from Japan, Kyoto Yuzu White forgoes the orange for yuzu. This makes for a brighter and more floral aroma and flavor.

The flavor of this Kyoto beer is otherwise classically Belgian. There are notes of coriander, white pepper, clove, honey, light toast, and yeast. The finish is a bit brighter than many other Witbiers, but not sour.

Ingredients: pale malt, wheat, Hallertau and Saaz hops, water

Adjunct ingredients: yuzu, coriander

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Diet Beers

Beers with super low calories and carbs are a relatively new concept. Michelob Ultra is probably the best-known example.

Sapporo Pure: Beer for Active Drinkers

Pure is the latest beer from Sapporo USA. It’s a super-light diet beer with very few calories and carbs.

But does it taste good? 

Before I tried it, I assumed I wouldn’t like it. But I was wrong. It’s pretty good, for what it is. 

Sapporo Pure certainly looks like beer. It has a light golden color, but head retention is weak. 

The aroma is really enjoyable. It’s toasty and bready, with notes of flowers, grass, honey, and citrus. 

But after such a striking nose, the palate is a bit underwhelming. Pure is very light, dry, and faintly bitter. A soft texture and moderate carbonation add up to an easy-drinking beer. 

Sapporo Pure is brewed and marketed towards active drinkers and people looking to watch their weight. I think they’ve done a superb job in this respect.

Ingredients: unknown

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