CRAFT BEER MARKET Kichijoji Penny Lane taps Sansho Lager
CRAFT BEER MARKET Kichijoji Penny Lane in Kichijoji has tapped Sansho Lager from CRAFTROCK BREWING. The award-winning lager, which took gold in the 2026 World Beer Cup Herb & Spice Beer category, is now being offered across the chain.
Hop BroNews from Kichijoji: CRAFT BEER MARKET Kichijoji Penny Lane just tapped CRAFTROCK BREWING's Sansho Lager today. It's pouring now, and some sister locations are carrying it too.
MugiWait, a sansho lager? Beer with Japanese pepper as the star? The kitchen and the tap list are fully collaborating now!
Hop BroExactly. The style is Lager with Sansho. It's built on an easygoing lager base, then layered with the aroma and clear shape of sansho.
MugiHold on, clear shape of flavor? What is that? Are we outlining the beer with a pencil?
Hop BroIn beer terms, that means the aroma and flavor stay focused instead of muddy. And at ABV 5.0%, it stays light enough to work beautifully with food.
MugiOooh. Then what about IBU 20? If that's a score, it's oddly specific, and if it's unread messages, I'm already stressed!
Hop BroIBU is just a bitterness guide. At 20, you're getting gentle bitterness, enough to support the beer without stomping on the sansho.
MugiThat makes sense! And this is the World Beer Cup gold winner revival, right? That's the kind of beer that makes you sit up straight before the first sip.
Hop BroAnd the ingredients are serious too. It uses budou sansho pepper supplied to the famed eel shop Unagi Takase in Hachioji, then ground carefully with a stone mill.
MugiWow, so it sounds perfect with Japanese food and strong as a meal beer too. A Kichijoji pint run is starting to sound extremely necessary.
Hop BroExactly. With the deep tap list at Penny Lane, pairing it with food should really show off the sansho. This is a cheers-with-washoku kind of guest beer.
MugiThat's it, I'm done resisting. Crisp lager plus that soft peppery lift? My throat is already voting for one pour right now!
CRAFT BEER MARKET Kichijoji Penny Lane, a beer pub in Kichijoji, has tapped CRAFTROCK BREWING's Sansho Lager. In the Instagram post, the shop says the beer is on tap from today and can be enjoyed at its affiliated locations as well.
Sansho Lager is a revival release that won gold in the Herb & Spice Beer category at the 2026 World Beer Cup. It is brewed as a Lager with Sansho, coming in at 5.0% ABV and 20 IBU. The result is a clean lager that still keeps the spice's distinct aroma and outline in focus.
According to the post, the beer uses grape sansho supplied for the eel restaurant Unagi Taka-se in Hachioji, with the spice carefully stone-ground before brewing. Brewer's notes say the goal was to highlight the aroma and flavor of sansho while keeping the balance firmly in lager territory. It should work well with Japanese food and other meal-time pairings, which suits a neighborhood beer pub with a broad tap selection.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroNews from Kichijoji: CRAFT BEER MARKET Kichijoji Penny Lane just tapped CRAFTROCK BREWING's Sansho Lager today. It's pouring now, and some sister locations are carrying it too.
MugiWait, a sansho lager? Beer with Japanese pepper as the star? The kitchen and the tap list are fully collaborating now!
Hop BroExactly. The style is Lager with Sansho. It's built on an easygoing lager base, then layered with the aroma and clear shape of sansho.
MugiHold on, clear shape of flavor? What is that? Are we outlining the beer with a pencil?
Hop BroIn beer terms, that means the aroma and flavor stay focused instead of muddy. And at ABV 5.0%, it stays light enough to work beautifully with food.
MugiOooh. Then what about IBU 20? If that's a score, it's oddly specific, and if it's unread messages, I'm already stressed!
Hop BroIBU is just a bitterness guide. At 20, you're getting gentle bitterness, enough to support the beer without stomping on the sansho.
MugiThat makes sense! And this is the World Beer Cup gold winner revival, right? That's the kind of beer that makes you sit up straight before the first sip.
Hop BroAnd the ingredients are serious too. It uses budou sansho pepper supplied to the famed eel shop Unagi Takase in Hachioji, then ground carefully with a stone mill.
MugiWow, so it sounds perfect with Japanese food and strong as a meal beer too. A Kichijoji pint run is starting to sound extremely necessary.
Hop BroExactly. With the deep tap list at Penny Lane, pairing it with food should really show off the sansho. This is a cheers-with-washoku kind of guest beer.
MugiThat's it, I'm done resisting. Crisp lager plus that soft peppery lift? My throat is already voting for one pour right now!
