Libushi Bashamichi introduces Summer Chaser, a natsu-mikan grisette
Yokohama's Libushi Bashamichi has introduced Summer Chaser, a 4.0% grisette brewed with natsu-mikan from a friend in Yokosuka. The brewery says the beer was built to stay light and dry while still carrying enough malt depth and citrus character.
Hop BroI want to talk about a new release from Satobushi Bashamichi in Yokohama today: Summer Chaser. It’s a 4.0% ABV grisette made with natsumikan, and it’s already being poured at the bar.
MugiWhat! That name sounds like it should come with a soundtrack! But first, what is a grisette? I’m already getting left behind by the cool words.
Hop BroA grisette is a light summer beer style from Belgium, traditionally linked to farm and mining workers. It’s close to saison, but usually lower in alcohol and easier to crush.
MugiOh wow, so it’s basically a summer hydration hero. But then the article says saison yeast, and suddenly I feel like I walked into chemistry class.
Hop BroThat just means the yeast strain they used. This batch starts with Belgian pilsner malt and a saison yeast fermentation. They began a little cool on day one, then let the temperature rise naturally after that to build aroma.
MugiSo the yeast got a flexible work schedule? Incredible. And the fruit part is wild too, because 100 kilograms of natsumikan sounds less like ingredients and more like a citrus invasion.
Hop BroThat part is great. A farmer friend in Yokosuka sent the fruit over, but the acidity and bitterness were still strong, so they rested it for a month before using it. Then they split it into peel and juice.
MugiThey gave the fruit a spa treatment before brewing it. And using both dried peel and fresh peel sounds like marmalade-style aroma territory, which is extremely unfair to my self-control.
Hop BroExactly. The dried peel brings sweet depth, the fresh peel adds layered citrus character, and then you get Belgian malt sweetness plus yeast aroma on top. It ends up very dry, but not thin at all.
MugiA 4.0% beer that drinks easy but still has flavor? That’s basically a summer front-runner. I can already picture the second glass arriving by accident.
Hop BroAnd since it’s already available at Satobushi Bashamichi, this feels like a beer for early summer in the best way. Clean, bright, and dangerously inviting.
MugiThen it’s settled. I want that first summer sip immediately, and I’m absolutely going to say “grisette” like I’ve known it for years.
Libushi Bashamichi in Yokohama introduced Summer Chaser, a new beer brewed as a grisette and clocking in at 4.0% ABV. In its Instagram post, the brewery says the beer is already being poured at the bar and explains the recipe in detail rather than just listing the specs.
The starting point was a conversation with a friend farming in Yokosuka, who had an abundant harvest of summer mikan. The brewery brought back about 100 kg of fruit and decided to use the harvest not only for beer, but also for an RTD project. Because the fruit was still quite sharp in acidity and bitterness, it was left to rest for about a month before being separated into peel and juice. Some of the peel was dried, some was used fresh in the beer, and the juice was reserved for the RTD.
Grisette was chosen as the base style because it sits close to saison and is traditionally associated with low-alcohol, thirst-quenching drinking in Belgium. For this batch, Libushi used Belgian pilsner malt and saison yeast. Fermentation started at a slightly cooler temperature on day one, then temperature control was stopped on day two so the fermentation could rise naturally.
According to the brewery, the result is a very dry beer that still carries malt sweetness, yeast-driven aroma, dried peel notes that lean toward marmalade, and fresh citrus character from the summer mikan. It is presented as a beer for the start of summer: light on its feet, but with enough volume and depth to remain satisfying sip after sip.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroI want to talk about a new release from Satobushi Bashamichi in Yokohama today: Summer Chaser. It’s a 4.0% ABV grisette made with natsumikan, and it’s already being poured at the bar.
MugiWhat! That name sounds like it should come with a soundtrack! But first, what is a grisette? I’m already getting left behind by the cool words.
Hop BroA grisette is a light summer beer style from Belgium, traditionally linked to farm and mining workers. It’s close to saison, but usually lower in alcohol and easier to crush.
MugiOh wow, so it’s basically a summer hydration hero. But then the article says saison yeast, and suddenly I feel like I walked into chemistry class.
Hop BroThat just means the yeast strain they used. This batch starts with Belgian pilsner malt and a saison yeast fermentation. They began a little cool on day one, then let the temperature rise naturally after that to build aroma.
MugiSo the yeast got a flexible work schedule? Incredible. And the fruit part is wild too, because 100 kilograms of natsumikan sounds less like ingredients and more like a citrus invasion.
Hop BroThat part is great. A farmer friend in Yokosuka sent the fruit over, but the acidity and bitterness were still strong, so they rested it for a month before using it. Then they split it into peel and juice.
MugiThey gave the fruit a spa treatment before brewing it. And using both dried peel and fresh peel sounds like marmalade-style aroma territory, which is extremely unfair to my self-control.
Hop BroExactly. The dried peel brings sweet depth, the fresh peel adds layered citrus character, and then you get Belgian malt sweetness plus yeast aroma on top. It ends up very dry, but not thin at all.
MugiA 4.0% beer that drinks easy but still has flavor? That’s basically a summer front-runner. I can already picture the second glass arriving by accident.
Hop BroAnd since it’s already available at Satobushi Bashamichi, this feels like a beer for early summer in the best way. Clean, bright, and dangerously inviting.
MugiThen it’s settled. I want that first summer sip immediately, and I’m absolutely going to say “grisette” like I’ve known it for years.
