Fujizakura Heights Beer has announced the 2026 edition of “Hopfen-Sauer ~Fresh Hop 100%~,” a limited beer brewed once a year with freshly harvested hops.

The beer uses locally grown “Mt. Fuji Hops” cultivated across five fields in Fujiyoshida, Fujikawaguchiko, and Oshino, Yamanashi. With the support of the Fujihokuroku Hop Producers Association, the brewery’s staff harvested the hops early in the morning and transported them directly to the brewery for brewing. The Cascade variety was selected for this release, with approximately 60 kilograms of fresh hops added at several stages of the brewing process.

Most commercial hops are dried or processed into pellets to improve stability and handling. Fresh hops, however, retain volatile aromatic compounds that can be lost during processing. These compounds create what is often called a “green hop character,” with notes of fresh grass, vivid green plants, citrus, and herbs. Because hops are harvested during a short window of roughly seven to ten days between August and September, a beer made with unprocessed fresh hops is a genuinely seasonal release.

This year’s beer is a German-style sour ale inspired by Gose, the historic sour beer associated with Goslar, Germany. While traditional Gose often includes salt and coriander, this version omits coriander and focuses on expressing the distinctive aroma of the fresh hops.

According to the brewery, the aroma combines tropical notes from the yeast with fresh grass, citrus, and herbal-tea nuances from the hops. A refreshing acidity spreads across the palate, while the 4.5% alcohol content contributes to a light, highly drinkable profile.

Founded in 1997, Fujizakura Heights Beer brews in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, drawing on German brewing techniques and high-quality soft water from the foothills of Mount Fuji. Rather than following the common IPA approach to fresh-hop brewing, this release presents the brewery’s own German-style interpretation. It is scheduled to launch soon through the brewery’s Rakuten online store.