Sakazuki Lab Joins Choryo Shuzo’s Sake-Yeast Beer Project; Wa no Beer Festival 2026 Kicks Off
Choryo Shuzo has announced the 2026 edition of its circuit-style event, "Wa no Beer Festival," themed around sake yeast. The project invites people to tour the directly operated shops of participating breweries at around 10 venues nationwide and taste sake-yeast beers, with Sakazuki Lab in Adachi, Tokyo, also on the list.
Hop BroChoryo Shuzo’s Wa no Beer Festival 2026 puts sake yeast in the spotlight this time. It’s pretty bold to push craft beer ideas this far, don’t you think?
MugiWait, what do you mean sake yeast is the main focus!? Beer with a touch of sake-family vibes is already making my head feel light!
Hop BroIn simple terms, when the yeast changes, the aroma and the shape of the flavor change too. The real highlight here is the comparison of fermentation character.
MugiA comparison of fermentation character sounds like a science class all of a sudden! But when you say shape of the flavor, it somehow sounds delicious!
Hop BroOn top of that, it’s a circuit event at about 10 venues nationwide, touring the directly operated shops of the participating breweries. From March to April, you can drink beers brewed for this project in each area.
MugiThat sounds like a brewery crawl! Around 10 venues nationwide gives you the perfect excuse for a trip!
Hop BroThe lineup of participating breweries is impressive too, with names like Sakazuki Brewing, Y.MARKET BREWING, and DD4D BREWING. From Tokyo, Sakazuki Lab is also drawing attention as a spot that fits this kind of project well.
MugiSo Sakazuki Lab isn’t just a place to drink! It suits an experimental project so well that it feels almost like a lab, which is cool!
Hop BroExactly. As a sister shop in Senju Asahicho, Adachi Ward, it’s making beers with food pairing in mind too. Because it’s a place with a clear approach to communicating flavor, it matches this kind of theme really well.
MugiIt’s great that they think about pairing with food too! Hearing it’s an Adachi Ward spot to watch makes me want to go right away!
Hop BroAnother interesting point is that this edition moves from white koji in the first event to sake yeast itself. A project that focuses on the ingredient itself is where the brewers really get to show what they can do.
MugiSo that’s how much fun they can have with yeast! Once the official SNS updates start coming out, there’s no choice but to go drink some!
Choryo Shuzo’s "Wa no Beer Festival" is an effort to expand the expression of craft beer by centering it on ingredients and ideas unique to Japan. This second edition will focus on "sake yeast," and is scheduled to be held at around 10 venues nationwide from March to April 2026. The venues are indoor circuit-style events centered on the directly operated shops of participating breweries, where beers brewed specifically for this project will be served.
The participating breweries include Matsue Beer Herun Brewery, REPUBREW, Sakazuki Brewing, Y.MARKET BREWING, DD4D BREWING, NOM CRAFT BREWING, Derailleur Brew Works, ONE's BREWERY, CRAFT BEER BASE, and CHORYO Craft Beer. From Tokyo, Sakazuki Brewing is taking part, and its sister location, Sakazuki Lab in Kitasenju, is also well suited to a project with this kind of experimental character.
Sakazuki Lab is a sister shop of Sakazuki Brewing located in Senju Asahicho, Adachi Ward, and serves as a support for the local craft beer culture. In an article introducing Adachi Ward, the former store is described as operating as "Sakazuki Lab," and being positioned as a place for brewing experimental beers going forward. Beer-making with food pairing in mind, and an approach that clearly conveys flavor tendencies, are also distinctive features of this shop.
This year’s "Wa no Beer Festival" takes things a step further from the first edition, which was themed around white koji, by focusing on the ingredient of sake yeast itself. How will fermentation characteristics that differ from beer yeast be translated into flavor? Another highlight of the event is the chance to hear directly from the brewers about their thinking. Detailed event schedules will be announced gradually on the official Instagram account and the SNS accounts of each brewery.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroChoryo Shuzo’s Wa no Beer Festival 2026 puts sake yeast in the spotlight this time. It’s pretty bold to push craft beer ideas this far, don’t you think?
MugiWait, what do you mean sake yeast is the main focus!? Beer with a touch of sake-family vibes is already making my head feel light!
Hop BroIn simple terms, when the yeast changes, the aroma and the shape of the flavor change too. The real highlight here is the comparison of fermentation character.
MugiA comparison of fermentation character sounds like a science class all of a sudden! But when you say shape of the flavor, it somehow sounds delicious!
Hop BroOn top of that, it’s a circuit event at about 10 venues nationwide, touring the directly operated shops of the participating breweries. From March to April, you can drink beers brewed for this project in each area.
MugiThat sounds like a brewery crawl! Around 10 venues nationwide gives you the perfect excuse for a trip!
Hop BroThe lineup of participating breweries is impressive too, with names like Sakazuki Brewing, Y.MARKET BREWING, and DD4D BREWING. From Tokyo, Sakazuki Lab is also drawing attention as a spot that fits this kind of project well.
MugiSo Sakazuki Lab isn’t just a place to drink! It suits an experimental project so well that it feels almost like a lab, which is cool!
Hop BroExactly. As a sister shop in Senju Asahicho, Adachi Ward, it’s making beers with food pairing in mind too. Because it’s a place with a clear approach to communicating flavor, it matches this kind of theme really well.
MugiIt’s great that they think about pairing with food too! Hearing it’s an Adachi Ward spot to watch makes me want to go right away!
Hop BroAnother interesting point is that this edition moves from white koji in the first event to sake yeast itself. A project that focuses on the ingredient itself is where the brewers really get to show what they can do.
MugiSo that’s how much fun they can have with yeast! Once the official SNS updates start coming out, there’s no choice but to go drink some!
