Iwanai Brewery & Hotel Wins Three Awards at JGBA 2026, One Silver and Two Bronze
Iwanai Brewery & Hotel in Iwanai, Hokkaido announced on Instagram at 18:00 on March 10, 2026 that it had won awards at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026. The honored beers were “Morty” with silver, and “Everyday” and “Hop Mashimashi” with bronze, for a total of three beers. The results once again highlighted the strength of this local brewery.
Hop BroBreaking news! Iwanai Brewery & Hotel in Hokkaido just won three awards at JGBA 2026. Morty got silver, and Everyday and Hop Mashimashi got bronze!
MugiWhat! Three awards? And it’s a brewery with a hotel too? That’s basically heaven, where you can drink and then sleep right there!
Hop BroThat’s exactly the strength of a place where you can drink, eat, and stay. And they brew with deep ocean water pumped up in Iwanai, so they’re really serious about ingredients.
MugiWhat? Deep ocean water? Does that make the beer salty?!
Hop BroNot to make it salty, but to take advantage of the mineral balance in the brewing water. It affects fermentation character and mouthfeel, helping the flavors come into focus.
MugiOhhh! Water can change that much? So what kind of beers are the three winners?
Hop BroJudging by the names, Morty sounds malt-forward with a toasty character, Everyday sounds like a balanced beer you can drink every day, and Hop Mashimashi sounds like a hop-led aroma bomb.
MugiWait, "malt-forward" and "aroma bomb" got really beer-geeky all of a sudden! Translate that for me!
Hop BroMalt-forward means the grainy richness, like bread or biscuits, comes to the front. Hop-led means citrusy or grassy aromas just pop!
MugiThat makes sense! And JGBA judges balance, aftertaste, and condition too, right? Winning three awards is seriously expert-level!
Hop BroYeah, and the timeline is pretty exciting too: judged in Yokohama on February 22 and 23, then announced at 18:00 on March 10. You can really feel the strength of a community-rooted brewery.
MugiIt’s decided! Let’s start with a toast with Morty, then Hop Mashimashi, and finish with Everyday! I want to drink them now!
Iwanai Brewery & Hotel (Hokkaido) announced the results of its awards at the "Japan Great Beer Awards 2026" in an official Instagram post. According to the announcement, the awards were as follows.
- Morty: Silver Award
- Everyday: Bronze Award
- Hop Mashimashi: Bronze Award
The post also noted that the awards were held on February 22 and 23, 2026 at Yokohama Sangyo Boeki Hall Marinellia. It is a judging competition that evaluates domestically brewed beer, with criteria centered on balance, aftertaste, and condition.
Iwanai Brewery & Hotel is a brewery based in Iwanai Town, Hokkaido, where guests can drink, eat, and stay. On its official website, it says its brewing features include carefully selected malt and hops, as well as deep ocean water drawn in Iwanai. Its operating style, which aims to balance the unique experiential value of an inn-like facility with brewing quality, also fits the recent trend of community-based craft beer.
This award result suggests that the brewery's local brewing environment and commitment to ingredients were recognized even by a nationwide judging competition. For readers following craft beer in the Hokkaido area, it is likely to become a noteworthy topic when choosing the next beer to try.
Sources:
- Iwanai Brewery & Hotel Instagram post
- Iwanai Brewery & Hotel official website
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroBreaking news! Iwanai Brewery & Hotel in Hokkaido just won three awards at JGBA 2026. Morty got silver, and Everyday and Hop Mashimashi got bronze!
MugiWhat! Three awards? And it’s a brewery with a hotel too? That’s basically heaven, where you can drink and then sleep right there!
Hop BroThat’s exactly the strength of a place where you can drink, eat, and stay. And they brew with deep ocean water pumped up in Iwanai, so they’re really serious about ingredients.
MugiWhat? Deep ocean water? Does that make the beer salty?!
Hop BroNot to make it salty, but to take advantage of the mineral balance in the brewing water. It affects fermentation character and mouthfeel, helping the flavors come into focus.
MugiOhhh! Water can change that much? So what kind of beers are the three winners?
Hop BroJudging by the names, Morty sounds malt-forward with a toasty character, Everyday sounds like a balanced beer you can drink every day, and Hop Mashimashi sounds like a hop-led aroma bomb.
MugiWait, "malt-forward" and "aroma bomb" got really beer-geeky all of a sudden! Translate that for me!
Hop BroMalt-forward means the grainy richness, like bread or biscuits, comes to the front. Hop-led means citrusy or grassy aromas just pop!
MugiThat makes sense! And JGBA judges balance, aftertaste, and condition too, right? Winning three awards is seriously expert-level!
Hop BroYeah, and the timeline is pretty exciting too: judged in Yokohama on February 22 and 23, then announced at 18:00 on March 10. You can really feel the strength of a community-rooted brewery.
MugiIt’s decided! Let’s start with a toast with Morty, then Hop Mashimashi, and finish with Everyday! I want to drink them now!
