North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery to Release Buntan WHITE & LAGER on March 27
North Island Beer’s Ebetsu Brewery announced that it will release two limited-brew beers, “Buntan WHITE” and “Buntan LAGER,” on March 27, 2026. Backed by the sister-city partnership between Ebetsu and Tosa City in Kochi Prefecture, the brewery is rolling out two beers made with Tosa buntan citrus at the same time. Plans for wholesale shipments, online orders for the general public, and direct brewery sales have also been announced.
Hop BroSpring news is here: North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery is releasing “Buntan WHITE” and “Buntan LAGER” at the same time on March 27, 2026!
MugiWait, two at once!? And it’s a Tosa buntan collaboration too? Just the names already scream refreshing!
Hop BroThe recipes are clearly different: Buntan WHITE is a Fruit White Ale, Buntan LAGER is a Fruit Lager, and both are ABV 5.0%, but the IBUs are 10 and 18.
MugiWhat is that! What’s IBU!? You just turned the article into a science class with numbers!
Hop BroIBU is a measure of bitterness. 10 is gentle, and 18 is a little sharper. WHITE uses Ebetsu wheat for a soft feel, while LAGER uses corn grits made in Ebetsu for a crisp, clean finish.
MugiOhhh! Same buntan, totally different personalities! By the way, is Cascade (Cryo) the name of a special move?
Hop BroPretty much, yes. They use Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior hops, and Cryo concentrates the aroma compounds, so the aroma really comes through nicely.
MugiConcentrated hops! Even the wording sounds delicious! So when does it show up in my fridge? Give me the general sales schedule!
Hop BroOnline orders open on the official store at 10:00 on March 27, with shipments starting sequentially on March 28. Also, direct sales and sales by weight are planned at the Ebetsu Brewery on March 28.
MugiSales by weight too!? That sounds so event-like! Being able to drink the friendship-city connection is such a story-rich regional project!
MugiI’ve decided: I’ll enjoy the aroma with WHITE, then finish with LAGER! This is the ultimate simultaneous open-bottle challenge for spring!
Hop BroThat plan is perfect. Let’s order as soon as March 27 hits and get two glasses ready on March 28. I already want to do a side-by-side tasting!
North Island Beer’s Ebetsu Brewery announced the release of its limited beers “Buntan WHITE” and “Buntan LAGER” in an Instagram post. The release date is March 27, 2026. Both are “friendship-city beers” made with Tosa buntan, a specialty of Tosa City in Kochi Prefecture, bringing the connection with Ebetsu City into a single glass.
The two labels in this release use the same fruit, but their recipes are clearly different.
- Buntan WHITE: ABV 5.0%, IBU 10, Fruit White Ale
- Buntan LAGER: ABV 5.0%, IBU 18, Fruit Lager
Buntan WHITE uses Ebetsu-grown wheat and emphasizes a soft mouthfeel and bright fruit aroma. Buntan LAGER uses corn grits produced in Ebetsu and is said to finish with a crisp, easy-drinking character. Both use Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior hops. While they share some ingredients, the way the aromas come through and the direction of the finish should make this a fun side-by-side tasting.
According to the sales notice, kegs and bottles for wholesale customers will begin shipping on March 27. For general consumers, orders will open on the official online store at 10:00 on March 27, with shipments starting sequentially from March 28. In addition, direct sales and sales by weight are scheduled at the Ebetsu Brewery on March 28.
As a Hokkaido-born craft brewery, North Island Beer has actively released seasonal and limited-batch beers in addition to its five core offerings. These two Buntan releases are a very North Island Beer way of expressing local ingredients and intercity ties through beer. If you are choosing for a spring meal, go with the aroma-forward WHITE or the food-friendly LAGER. First, you will probably want to open both and compare them side by side.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroSpring news is here: North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery is releasing “Buntan WHITE” and “Buntan LAGER” at the same time on March 27, 2026!
MugiWait, two at once!? And it’s a Tosa buntan collaboration too? Just the names already scream refreshing!
Hop BroThe recipes are clearly different: Buntan WHITE is a Fruit White Ale, Buntan LAGER is a Fruit Lager, and both are ABV 5.0%, but the IBUs are 10 and 18.
MugiWhat is that! What’s IBU!? You just turned the article into a science class with numbers!
Hop BroIBU is a measure of bitterness. 10 is gentle, and 18 is a little sharper. WHITE uses Ebetsu wheat for a soft feel, while LAGER uses corn grits made in Ebetsu for a crisp, clean finish.
MugiOhhh! Same buntan, totally different personalities! By the way, is Cascade (Cryo) the name of a special move?
Hop BroPretty much, yes. They use Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior hops, and Cryo concentrates the aroma compounds, so the aroma really comes through nicely.
MugiConcentrated hops! Even the wording sounds delicious! So when does it show up in my fridge? Give me the general sales schedule!
Hop BroOnline orders open on the official store at 10:00 on March 27, with shipments starting sequentially on March 28. Also, direct sales and sales by weight are planned at the Ebetsu Brewery on March 28.
MugiSales by weight too!? That sounds so event-like! Being able to drink the friendship-city connection is such a story-rich regional project!
MugiI’ve decided: I’ll enjoy the aroma with WHITE, then finish with LAGER! This is the ultimate simultaneous open-bottle challenge for spring!
Hop BroThat plan is perfect. Let’s order as soon as March 27 hits and get two glasses ready on March 28. I already want to do a side-by-side tasting!
