Namachaん Brewing Releases "Sakura Smoke IPA" in Collaboration with Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan
On August 19, 2025, Namachaん Brewing (Smoke Beer Factory) in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, announced a collaboration beer with the nationally designated Important Cultural Property Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan: "Sakura Smoke IPA." This is a highly limited beer made by turning pruning branches from the facility's cherry trees, which are more than 70 years old, into chips and smoking the malt with them.
Hop BroI brought some hot news today! Namachaん Brewing in Toshima Ward, Tokyo teamed up with Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan to release "Sakura Smoke IPA."
MugiWhat! A building and a beer collaborated!? That is way too stylish!
Hop BroIt was announced on August 19, 2025. The style is Smoke IPA, and the ABV is 6.5%. They used pruning branches from Myonichikan's cherry trees, which are over 70 years old, turned them into chips, and smoked the malt for this limited beer.
MugiHuh? "Turned pruning branches into chips and smoked the malt" sounds like a science lab all of a sudden! What does that mean?
Hop BroBasically, it's a process where the malt is infused with cherry smoke aroma. It's a kind of smoked-malt treatment, designed to make the smoky aroma the star while still letting the hop aroma stand out.
MugiSmoked-malt treatment!? That sounds like a spell! If I drink it, will I suddenly become a brewer too?
Hop BroIf that happened, you'd be unstoppable. In reality, it means you can enjoy both the toasty character and the bright IPA side in one glass. It sounds complicated, but I think it's the kind of beer that goes down surprisingly smoothly.
MugiThat is definitely the kind of beer that goes with food! What should I pair it with to win?
Hop BroGrilled dishes or richer side dishes are the classics. Namachaん Brewing has kept using house-smoked malt since its first brew in 2018, and once again it is great at making you drink the story of a place through aroma.
MugiThe idea that cherry branches can become a story in beer is kind of romantic... My mouth is already waiting for Smoke IPA!
Hop BroThen it's settled. Tonight, let's toast with "Sakura Smoke IPA." Let's go experience architecture through aroma!
What Namachaん Brewing is presenting this time is an approach that translates architecture and local resources into beer. The collaboration partner is Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, known for its design by Frank Lloyd Wright. Using pruning branches from the site's cherry trees, the brewery smoked the malt and released the beer as "Sakura Smoke IPA," layering smoky aroma with hop aroma.
According to publicly available information, the style is Smoke IPA and the alcohol content is 6.5%. The impression of a smoke beer can vary greatly depending on how the aroma is designed, but this beer clearly aims to make the smoky character the star while still preserving the hop expression. For food pairings, it should work well with grilled dishes that can stand up to the smokiness, as well as richer side dishes.
One important point in the background is that Namachaん Brewing, based in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, has consistently made beer using house-smoked malt. The archive on its official website notes its first brew on April 22, 2018, and since then it has continued collaborating with local organizations, companies, and cultural facilities. This Myonichikan collaboration can be seen as a release that more clearly shows the brewery's character: "expressing the story of a place through aroma," an approach it has built up over time.
Sources: Collaboration announcement article, Smoke Beer Factory official website
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroI brought some hot news today! Namachaん Brewing in Toshima Ward, Tokyo teamed up with Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan to release "Sakura Smoke IPA."
MugiWhat! A building and a beer collaborated!? That is way too stylish!
Hop BroIt was announced on August 19, 2025. The style is Smoke IPA, and the ABV is 6.5%. They used pruning branches from Myonichikan's cherry trees, which are over 70 years old, turned them into chips, and smoked the malt for this limited beer.
MugiHuh? "Turned pruning branches into chips and smoked the malt" sounds like a science lab all of a sudden! What does that mean?
Hop BroBasically, it's a process where the malt is infused with cherry smoke aroma. It's a kind of smoked-malt treatment, designed to make the smoky aroma the star while still letting the hop aroma stand out.
MugiSmoked-malt treatment!? That sounds like a spell! If I drink it, will I suddenly become a brewer too?
Hop BroIf that happened, you'd be unstoppable. In reality, it means you can enjoy both the toasty character and the bright IPA side in one glass. It sounds complicated, but I think it's the kind of beer that goes down surprisingly smoothly.
MugiThat is definitely the kind of beer that goes with food! What should I pair it with to win?
Hop BroGrilled dishes or richer side dishes are the classics. Namachaん Brewing has kept using house-smoked malt since its first brew in 2018, and once again it is great at making you drink the story of a place through aroma.
MugiThe idea that cherry branches can become a story in beer is kind of romantic... My mouth is already waiting for Smoke IPA!
Hop BroThen it's settled. Tonight, let's toast with "Sakura Smoke IPA." Let's go experience architecture through aroma!
