Minoh Beer to Begin Selling Its Mikkeller Tokyo Collaboration 'Ume-chu' on May 1
Minoh Beer of Minoh City, Osaka, has announced its collaboration beer 'Ume-chu' with Mikkeller Tokyo. It is a sour ale made with fully ripe Nanko plums from Minabe Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and sales will begin on the online shop from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1.
Hop BroToday, there’s something interesting from Minoh Beer’s new release. It’s a collaboration with Mikkeller Tokyo, and it’s called 'Ume-chu'—a beer centered on plums.
MugiWhoa! Ume-chu sounds intriguing right away! Is it something like chu-hai, or is it really beer-like?
Hop BroThat’s what makes it interesting: it’s a sour ale. The base is a tart beer, and they finish it by carefully steeping fully ripe Nanko plums from Minabe Town in Wakayama Prefecture.
MugiCarefully steeping them sounds like it’s already leaning toward plum wine, doesn’t it? Adding fruit from the fermentation stage onward—is that even allowed?
Hop BroGood question. When you add it during the fermentation stage, it’s not just sweet; the fruit’s aroma and umami blend into the beer. The plum’s acidity overlaps with the beer’s acidity, creating more depth.
MugiOhhh! So the fruit’s umami stays in there. Just imagining that sharp tartness when you take a sip, followed by a gentle wave of plum, makes it sound delicious!
Hop BroThat’s pretty much the tasting impression too: a sweet-tart aroma comes first, then a lively acidity spreads across the palate. There’s malt richness as well, but the finish lands clean and dry.
MugiWhen you say dry, it suddenly sounds really serious! But it seems super easy to drink on a hot day, and a clean finish is definitely important!
Hop BroExactly. It’s a very strong choice as an early-summer beer. And sales start at 5:00 p.m. on May 1 through the online shop, with restaurants and liquor stores expected to follow later this week.
MugiWhoa, now I want to make a plan to drink it already! Since sales start on May 1, I definitely want to check it out if I find it!
Hop BroWhat’s great is how Minoh Beer's regional character overlaps with Mikkeller Tokyo’s perspective. This collaboration with fully ripe Nanko plums is the kind of beer that lets you feel the season through the glass.
MugiI’m completely ready to drink it now! Let’s toast with this plum sour ale and get a head start on early summer!
Minoh Beer, based in Minoh City, Osaka, announced its collaboration beer 'Ume-chu**' with Mikkeller Tokyo. This beer is a sour ale with fully ripe plums grown in Wakayama as its star ingredient.
The base is a sour beer with a pleasant acidity. To that, they generously steeped "fully ripe Nanko plums" from Minabe Town, Wakayama Prefecture, known as Japan's leading plum-producing region, and carefully aged it with fruit added from the fermentation stage onward. The recipe is designed to draw out the umami and aroma of the plums while linking them to a refreshing acidity.
As for the tasting impression, the moment you tilt the glass, a sweet-tart, fruity aroma rises, and when you take a sip, the mellow umami of the fruit and the light, brisk acidity characteristic of a sour beer spread across the palate. While balancing the richness of the malt with the acidity, the finish is kept clean and dry, so it seems like an easy beer to reach for as a drink in the hot season.
Sales are scheduled to begin on the online shop from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1. In addition, starting later this week, on-tap service and retail sales are expected to begin at restaurants and liquor stores around the country that regularly do business with them. It is a beer you will want to add to your early-summer lineup, combining Minoh Beer's regional character with the perspective unique to the collaboration with Mikkeller Tokyo.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday, there’s something interesting from Minoh Beer’s new release. It’s a collaboration with Mikkeller Tokyo, and it’s called 'Ume-chu'—a beer centered on plums.
MugiWhoa! Ume-chu sounds intriguing right away! Is it something like chu-hai, or is it really beer-like?
Hop BroThat’s what makes it interesting: it’s a sour ale. The base is a tart beer, and they finish it by carefully steeping fully ripe Nanko plums from Minabe Town in Wakayama Prefecture.
MugiCarefully steeping them sounds like it’s already leaning toward plum wine, doesn’t it? Adding fruit from the fermentation stage onward—is that even allowed?
Hop BroGood question. When you add it during the fermentation stage, it’s not just sweet; the fruit’s aroma and umami blend into the beer. The plum’s acidity overlaps with the beer’s acidity, creating more depth.
MugiOhhh! So the fruit’s umami stays in there. Just imagining that sharp tartness when you take a sip, followed by a gentle wave of plum, makes it sound delicious!
Hop BroThat’s pretty much the tasting impression too: a sweet-tart aroma comes first, then a lively acidity spreads across the palate. There’s malt richness as well, but the finish lands clean and dry.
MugiWhen you say dry, it suddenly sounds really serious! But it seems super easy to drink on a hot day, and a clean finish is definitely important!
Hop BroExactly. It’s a very strong choice as an early-summer beer. And sales start at 5:00 p.m. on May 1 through the online shop, with restaurants and liquor stores expected to follow later this week.
MugiWhoa, now I want to make a plan to drink it already! Since sales start on May 1, I definitely want to check it out if I find it!
Hop BroWhat’s great is how Minoh Beer's regional character overlaps with Mikkeller Tokyo’s perspective. This collaboration with fully ripe Nanko plums is the kind of beer that lets you feel the season through the glass.
MugiI’m completely ready to drink it now! Let’s toast with this plum sour ale and get a head start on early summer!
