Better life with upcycle Releases Ume Shiso Sour Ale Made with Upcycled Plum and Red Shiso
Kanagawa-based brewery Better life with upcycle has released Ume Shiso Sour Ale, an American-style sour ale made with upcycled Fukui-grown ume and red shiso. Its tart, plum-pickle-like character is balanced by apricot and floral hop aromas, with a bread-and-malt finish.
Hop BroBetter life with upcycle in Ebina, Kanagawa has released Ume Shiso Sour Ale. A pink sour with plum and red shiso—definitely intriguing.
MugiWhat?! Does that mean a umeboshi-like beer? My mouth is puckering already!
Hop BroIt has that kind of nuance. It’s an American-style Sour Ale made with Benisashi plums from Fukui and red shiso from the traditional Kida-chiso variety.
MugiWhat even is that! Is a sour ale basically just a sour beer?
Hop BroMore or less. Here, lactic-acid-derived tartness creates a refreshing yogurt- or lemon-like tang that brings out the plum and red shiso.
MugiWow! Plum and shiso already sound like a lot, and there’s more? My taste buds are calling an emergency meeting!
Hop BroIt also uses Triskel and Idaho 7 hops for apricot and floral aromas. That gives it dimension instead of letting it finish as just a plum-pickle impression.
MugiThose hop names suddenly sound like spells! And what exactly is being upcycled?
Hop BroThe plums once used for plum liqueur and red shiso from cider get a new purpose. True to the brewery, bread crusts are also ingredients, adding bready, malty character at the finish.
MugiI love that ingredients get a second life! At 4.5% ABV and 14 IBU, let’s chill one and toast right now!
Better life with upcycle, based in Ebina, Kanagawa, has released its new beer, Ume Shiso Sour Ale. The beer combines ume and red shiso with the brewery’s upcycling-focused approach to brewing.\n\nThe beer uses Beni-sayaka ume that had been used in Fukui-produced umeshu, as well as red shiso from a cider made with Kida-chiso, a traditional Fukui variety. After serving their original purposes, these ingredients were upcycled into a new craft beer.\n\nUme Shiso Sour Ale is an American-style Sour Ale with Ume and Red Shiso. Tartness from the ume, red shiso, and lactic-acid bacteria creates a flavor reminiscent of a red umeboshi. Triskel and Idaho 7 hops add notes of apricot and floral aromatics, bringing freshness alongside greater depth.\n\nThe finish carries a gentle grain character derived from bread and malt. Better life with upcycle is known for its “upcycle beer,” which incorporates bread crusts as a brewing ingredient. Malt and wheat bread are also included in this beer, reflecting the brewery’s identity as both a boulangerie and a brewery.\n\nThe beer has an ABV of 4.5%, an IBU of 14, and comes in a 350 ml can. Ingredients include malt, bread, ume, red shiso, hops, hibiscus, and carbon dioxide. As it contains yeast, some haze may develop; the product should be kept refrigerated.\n\nWith its distinctive plum and red-shiso profile, the beer offers a refreshing sour ale experience while presenting a clear example of how surplus ingredients can be given a new life through brewing.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroBetter life with upcycle in Ebina, Kanagawa has released Ume Shiso Sour Ale. A pink sour with plum and red shiso—definitely intriguing.
MugiWhat?! Does that mean a umeboshi-like beer? My mouth is puckering already!
Hop BroIt has that kind of nuance. It’s an American-style Sour Ale made with Benisashi plums from Fukui and red shiso from the traditional Kida-chiso variety.
MugiWhat even is that! Is a sour ale basically just a sour beer?
Hop BroMore or less. Here, lactic-acid-derived tartness creates a refreshing yogurt- or lemon-like tang that brings out the plum and red shiso.
MugiWow! Plum and shiso already sound like a lot, and there’s more? My taste buds are calling an emergency meeting!
Hop BroIt also uses Triskel and Idaho 7 hops for apricot and floral aromas. That gives it dimension instead of letting it finish as just a plum-pickle impression.
MugiThose hop names suddenly sound like spells! And what exactly is being upcycled?
Hop BroThe plums once used for plum liqueur and red shiso from cider get a new purpose. True to the brewery, bread crusts are also ingredients, adding bready, malty character at the finish.
MugiI love that ingredients get a second life! At 4.5% ABV and 14 IBU, let’s chill one and toast right now!
