Amakusa Sonar Beer unveils collab release 'Guruguru Meguru' with Totopia Brewery
Amakusa Sonar Beer in Amakusa, Kumamoto has introduced 'Guruguru Meguru,' a triple-collaboration DDH Hazy Pale Ale created for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26's 'PYRAMID GARDEN SIDE BAR.' The beer was brewed simultaneously at breweries in Nagakute and Amakusa using the same recipe.
Hop BroThis one really stood out: Guruguru Meguru. It’s a collab from Amakusa Sonar Beer in Kumamoto with Totopia Brewery, and the whole concept is pretty wild.
MugiWait, a triple collaboration? If there are two breweries, who’s the third one? Is this a beer love triangle?!
Hop BroThat’s the clever part. It was brewed for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26’s PYRAMID GARDEN SIDE BAR, so that project makes it a three-way collab. And the style is DDH Hazy Pale Ale, which totally fits a festival pour.
MugiWhat even is DDH Hazy Pale Ale supposed to mean? That sounds less like beer and more like a Wi-Fi password!
Hop BroIn simple terms, it’s a hazy pale ale with extra hop impact. Wheat and oats give it a silky mouthfeel, and at 5.0% ABV it sounds very easy to get into.
MugiOh wow! So Nelson Sauvin, Rakau, Mosaic, and the rest are basically a hop name avalanche? And Idaho 7 Cryo sounds like a special attack!
Hop BroThat’s actually a pretty good read on it. Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic push a full tropical burst, and Cryo means a hop format that helps pack in aroma without as much roughness.
MugiBut the part that really got me was same recipe, same timing. Brewing it at once in Nagakute and Amakusa feels like a delicious experiment!
Hop BroExactly. Even with the same ingredients, water, equipment, and fermentation shape the result. Amakusa Sonar Beer even dialed in the mineral balance adjustment around Amakusa’s water, so the place itself shows up in the glass.
MugiSo is this about picking which version is correct, or more about tasting the personality of the place?
Hop BroDefinitely the second one. And the best part is can release too, so even if you’re not going to Naeba, you can still compare them through craft beer bars and bottle shops.
MugiThat sounds ridiculously fun! I already want a side-by-side tasting, and you’re officially on explanation duty while I handle the dramatic reactions!
Amakusa Sonar Beer, based in Amakusa City, Kumamoto, has introduced its collaboration beer 'Guruguru Meguru.' The release is a triple collaboration with Totopia Brewery and was created for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26's 'PYRAMID GARDEN SIDE BAR.'
Style and specs
- Style: DDH Hazy Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.0%
- Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Rakau, Mosaic, Idaho 7 Cryo
The beer is built on a juicy Hazy Pale Ale base with wheat and oats for a dense, silky mouthfeel and layered tropical hop aroma. The post also notes a hop bill featuring Simcoe, Rakau, Mosaic, Nelson, and Idaho 7 Cryo to create a multi-layered aromatic profile.
Same recipe, different place
What makes this beer notable is that the same recipe was brewed simultaneously at breweries in Nagakute and Amakusa. The central idea is simple: what changes when the same beer is brewed in a different place? At Amakusa Sonar Beer, the team used local water from Amakusa and adjusted the mineral balance to closely reproduce the recipe.
Even with the same ingredients, yeast, and hops, differences in brewing equipment, fermentation environment, and water can change aroma, mouthfeel, and haze character. The brewery frames those differences not as a correct-versus-incorrect comparison, but as expressions of each place's identity.
Also released in cans
The beer will also be released in cans, making it available not only for festival-goers at Naeba but also through craft beer bars and liquor shops across Japan. For a brewery rooted in Amakusa, a project that highlights how place affects beer character feels especially fitting.
'Guruguru Meguru' is more than a hop-forward release. It turns the differences between brewing locations into the core of the tasting experience, giving drinkers a clear reason to compare, discuss, and enjoy the beer from multiple angles.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroThis one really stood out: Guruguru Meguru. It’s a collab from Amakusa Sonar Beer in Kumamoto with Totopia Brewery, and the whole concept is pretty wild.
MugiWait, a triple collaboration? If there are two breweries, who’s the third one? Is this a beer love triangle?!
Hop BroThat’s the clever part. It was brewed for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26’s PYRAMID GARDEN SIDE BAR, so that project makes it a three-way collab. And the style is DDH Hazy Pale Ale, which totally fits a festival pour.
MugiWhat even is DDH Hazy Pale Ale supposed to mean? That sounds less like beer and more like a Wi-Fi password!
Hop BroIn simple terms, it’s a hazy pale ale with extra hop impact. Wheat and oats give it a silky mouthfeel, and at 5.0% ABV it sounds very easy to get into.
MugiOh wow! So Nelson Sauvin, Rakau, Mosaic, and the rest are basically a hop name avalanche? And Idaho 7 Cryo sounds like a special attack!
Hop BroThat’s actually a pretty good read on it. Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic push a full tropical burst, and Cryo means a hop format that helps pack in aroma without as much roughness.
MugiBut the part that really got me was same recipe, same timing. Brewing it at once in Nagakute and Amakusa feels like a delicious experiment!
Hop BroExactly. Even with the same ingredients, water, equipment, and fermentation shape the result. Amakusa Sonar Beer even dialed in the mineral balance adjustment around Amakusa’s water, so the place itself shows up in the glass.
MugiSo is this about picking which version is correct, or more about tasting the personality of the place?
Hop BroDefinitely the second one. And the best part is can release too, so even if you’re not going to Naeba, you can still compare them through craft beer bars and bottle shops.
MugiThat sounds ridiculously fun! I already want a side-by-side tasting, and you’re officially on explanation duty while I handle the dramatic reactions!
