GROUNDTAP BREWERY Introduces Experimental Orange Ale SANJUSHI
On July 10, GROUNDTAP BREWERY shared SANJUSHI (Three Musketeers), an experimental orange ale made with local ingredients. The beer uses kawachi-bankan, natsumi, and house mandarin oranges, plus local wheat and naked barley, and comes in at 5.0% ABV.
Hop BroToday's headline is SANJUSHI (Three Musketeers), an experimental orange ale GROUNDTAP BREWERY introduced on Instagram on July 10.
MugiWhat! An experimental orange ale already sounds wild! What kinds of oranges are in it?
Hop BroIt uses kawachi bankan, natsumi, and greenhouse mikan, making it a three-citrus build brewed as a Juicy Orange Ale at 5.0% ABV for easy summer drinking.
MugiOkay, but Juicy Orange Ale means what exactly? Is it basically orange juice, or is it still beer?
Hop BroStill beer, but they use local wheat for soft sweetness, naked barley for body, and restrained hops, so the fruit stays upfront instead of getting buried.
MugiHold on, barley for body? That sounds like the grain has a gym membership!
Hop BroHa, not that kind of body. It means mouthfeel and heft, so it lands neither watery nor heavy, with a pale ale base letting the citrus shine. That's the mouthfeel sweet spot.
MugiThat makes sense! And GROUNDTAP BREWERY is in Saijo, right? Using Uchinuki brewing water makes it feel even more local.
MugiNow I want to run to the taproom and drink SANJUSHI standing right by the tanks!
Hop BroSame here, I want a pint now. Following OSANBAI and KOHARU, this local-ingredient release with Saijo water and three kinds of citrus sounds perfect for a hot day.
On July 10, GROUNDTAP BREWERY posted about SANJUSHI (Three Musketeers), an experimental juicy orange ale that follows OSANBAI and KOHARU. The beer is built around three citrus varieties - kawachi-bankan, natsumi, and house mandarin - and is brewed as a 5.0% ABV Juicy Orange Ale.
The key idea here is restraint: rather than pushing hops to the front, the brewery leans on local wheat for a gentle sweetness and naked barley for body and a softer mouthfeel. The result is described as a beer with a simple pale-ale base, but one where each ingredient still reads clearly. It is meant to be smooth and easy to drink, especially in warmer weather, while still showing the character of the local fruit and grain.
GROUNDTAP BREWERY is based in Saijo, Ehime, and its taproom is set next to the brewery itself. Guests can drink while looking through the glass at the brewing equipment, and the space is an all-standing beer bar with a rotating lineup of house beers and limited releases. The brewery also uses Saijo's famous uchinuki spring water, so the sense of place is not just in the recipe, but in the water and the setting too. SANJUSHI fits neatly into that approach: a small-scale, ingredient-driven beer that invites attention to detail rather than flash.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's headline is SANJUSHI (Three Musketeers), an experimental orange ale GROUNDTAP BREWERY introduced on Instagram on July 10.
MugiWhat! An experimental orange ale already sounds wild! What kinds of oranges are in it?
Hop BroIt uses kawachi bankan, natsumi, and greenhouse mikan, making it a three-citrus build brewed as a Juicy Orange Ale at 5.0% ABV for easy summer drinking.
MugiOkay, but Juicy Orange Ale means what exactly? Is it basically orange juice, or is it still beer?
Hop BroStill beer, but they use local wheat for soft sweetness, naked barley for body, and restrained hops, so the fruit stays upfront instead of getting buried.
MugiHold on, barley for body? That sounds like the grain has a gym membership!
Hop BroHa, not that kind of body. It means mouthfeel and heft, so it lands neither watery nor heavy, with a pale ale base letting the citrus shine. That's the mouthfeel sweet spot.
MugiThat makes sense! And GROUNDTAP BREWERY is in Saijo, right? Using Uchinuki brewing water makes it feel even more local.
MugiNow I want to run to the taproom and drink SANJUSHI standing right by the tanks!
Hop BroSame here, I want a pint now. Following OSANBAI and KOHARU, this local-ingredient release with Saijo water and three kinds of citrus sounds perfect for a hot day.
