Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer’s Milk Ale "Shiro" Wins Bronze at Japan Great Beer Awards 2026
Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer in Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture, won the bronze award at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026 for its milk ale "Shiro (Byaku)." For the brewery, which began brewing locally in 2022, it was recognition of the care it has put into its brewing.
Hop BroTokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer in Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture, won the bronze award at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026 for its milk ale "Shiro (Byaku)." It’s pretty intense how this local beer, carefully nurtured over time, got recognized.
MugiWhoa! "Shiro (Byaku)" sounds cool, and if it won bronze, that means it’s seriously good, right? I’m basically convinced it’s a winner before even tasting it!
Hop BroAnd this wasn’t just any award. It was the result of real recognition for their dedication to brewing. They started brewing in 2022 at the izakaya "Shubo Gin" in Kotoura Town, and that journey built up to this.
MugiBut wait, does "milk ale" actually have milk in it? This is suddenly starting to sound like school lunch!
Hop BroThat’s a good point. In fact, it uses lactose to create a gentle sweetness and richness. So it looks soft, and when you drink it, it tends to feel round and fluffy.
MugiOhh, so it has a gentle mouthfeel but still has its own character. I kind of like that, like someone who’s fluffy on the outside but strong at the core!
Hop BroExactly. And this brewery’s current location is actually an old small juice factory. It’s nice that a place that once made ramune, coffee, and orange juice now carries on the same story of water through beer.
MugiWhat, beer in the former site of a juice factory? That alone is already full of story, and then they go and win an award there too. The drama is complete!
Hop BroAnd on top of that, the official site says they brew with local ingredients and recipes made only for that moment. It’s not mass production; it’s the kind of brewery that really lets the land and the season come through in the beer.
MugiHearing that makes me want to try it as a truly local beer. Kotoura Town is making even beer sound delicious, which is unfair!
Hop BroIt really is. Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer’s careful craftsmanship being recognized at a competition is great news for everyone who’s been cheering them on.
MugiOkay, today is officially a day for drinking Shiro! Knowing the background like this definitely makes that first sip feel even more special!
Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer, based in Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture, won the bronze award at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026 for its milk ale "Shiro (Byaku)." In an Instagram post, the brewery expressed joy that a beer it had carefully crafted since the day it began brewing was recognized, and gratitude to the people who supported it.
The brewery began making craft beer in 2022 at the izakaya "Shubo Gin" in Kotoura Town. According to its official website, the current brewery uses a site that was once a small juice factory. In a place with a history of producing ramune, coffee, and orange juice, beer is now being made. Even though the products have changed, the brewery’s background is rooted in the idea that what it is dealing with is the same thing: water.
"Shiro" is a beer built as an extension of the recipe the brewery has developed over time as a milk ale that reflects the land and its brewing philosophy. The official website also says that it uses local ingredients and brews with recipes that can only be made at that particular moment. This award can be seen as a recognition, in the form of a competition, of the careful craftsmanship of a small, community-rooted brewery.
It will be interesting to see what kind of beer comes out of Kotoura Town next.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroTokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer in Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture, won the bronze award at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026 for its milk ale "Shiro (Byaku)." It’s pretty intense how this local beer, carefully nurtured over time, got recognized.
MugiWhoa! "Shiro (Byaku)" sounds cool, and if it won bronze, that means it’s seriously good, right? I’m basically convinced it’s a winner before even tasting it!
Hop BroAnd this wasn’t just any award. It was the result of real recognition for their dedication to brewing. They started brewing in 2022 at the izakaya "Shubo Gin" in Kotoura Town, and that journey built up to this.
MugiBut wait, does "milk ale" actually have milk in it? This is suddenly starting to sound like school lunch!
Hop BroThat’s a good point. In fact, it uses lactose to create a gentle sweetness and richness. So it looks soft, and when you drink it, it tends to feel round and fluffy.
MugiOhh, so it has a gentle mouthfeel but still has its own character. I kind of like that, like someone who’s fluffy on the outside but strong at the core!
Hop BroExactly. And this brewery’s current location is actually an old small juice factory. It’s nice that a place that once made ramune, coffee, and orange juice now carries on the same story of water through beer.
MugiWhat, beer in the former site of a juice factory? That alone is already full of story, and then they go and win an award there too. The drama is complete!
Hop BroAnd on top of that, the official site says they brew with local ingredients and recipes made only for that moment. It’s not mass production; it’s the kind of brewery that really lets the land and the season come through in the beer.
MugiHearing that makes me want to try it as a truly local beer. Kotoura Town is making even beer sound delicious, which is unfair!
Hop BroIt really is. Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer’s careful craftsmanship being recognized at a competition is great news for everyone who’s been cheering them on.
MugiOkay, today is officially a day for drinking Shiro! Knowing the background like this definitely makes that first sip feel even more special!
