A session ale made with locally grown Cascade hops

Vector Brewing’s MIDLANDHOPS is a 5.0% ABV session ale brewed with Cascade hops grown in Yorii, Saitama. The hops are cultivated through the Yorimachi Ale Project, which Vector Brewing has participated in since 2024.

The hop field is located at Nakama-daira, a mountaintop area on a hill in Yorii. The beer’s name, MID LAND HOPS, comes from this growing location. In 2025, the project purchased additional seedlings and expanded its trellis area to more than twice the previous size. Despite hot, dry weather, the plants’ established second-year roots helped increase the harvest from 4kg in 2024 to 10kg.

Residents of Yorii and other interested participants joined the two-day harvest. After the vines were taken down from the trellis, the hop cones were picked by hand one at a time. Using the hops fresh allows the beer to express aromas that are lost or changed when hops are dried, compressed, and processed into pellets—the form commonly used in brewing.

From hop farming to brewing

The aroma and bitterness of hops come largely from lupulin, the yellow powder found inside the hop cones. The project carefully cultivates the plants to encourage lupulin development, while giving participants the rare opportunity to experience fresh hops at harvest.

The Yorimachi Ale Project connects farming and brewing through hands-on experiences, from preparing the hop field and growing the plants to harvesting and making the beer. Its aim is to nurture Yorimachi culture through “deliciousness, fun, and connection.” In its second year, the project expanded both its field and its activities.

Vector Brewing began as part of a restaurant business and has developed its brewing operation around the idea of making craft beer more approachable and enjoyable with everyday food. Based in Asakusabashi, Tokyo, the brewery’s MIDLANDHOPS offers a direct taste of Yorii’s land, fresh hops, and community participation in a single glass. It is scheduled for release in mid-October.