HOP MAN in Chigasaki taps Minoh Beer and Akishika Sake Brewery's Saruyama Shikao
The Chigasaki beer pub HOP MAN has tapped Saruyama Shikao, a collaboration between Minoh Beer and Akishika Sake Brewery. Branded as a Japanese Rice Brut, the beer is presented as a dry 7.0% pour with koji rice, saison yeast, and a restrained hop profile.
Hop BroAt Chigasaki's HOP MAN, the Minoh Beer x Akishika Shuzo collab SaruYamaShikaOtoko just tapped. The name alone already steals the first-round conversation.
MugiWhat! That name is wild. Monkey, mountain, deer, man... that's so much happening I want to double-take at the tap list.
Hop BroAnd the concept is Japanese Rice Brut. It uses about 10% koji rice and saison yeast, so it drinks dry but carries a sake-like nuance too.
MugiWait, what is koji rice? I thought we were talking about beer, and now sake just kicked the door open.
Hop BroThink of it as rice that brings enzymes. Akishika's koji rice goes in during fermentation and helps pull out rice flavor plus a ginjo-like aromatic finish.
MugiDuring fermentation? Not in the mash? That level of precision makes this sound less like a drink and more like a science experiment.
Hop BroThat's exactly the craft part. The hops are three restrained varieties too: Motueka, Czech Saaz, and Citra, all dialed back so the rice and yeast stay center stage.
MugiOhhh, IBU 15 and dry sounds approachable. But 7.0% also sounds like the kind of beer that smiles politely and then erases my evening.
Hop BroAnd it's the kind where the aroma shifts with temperature. Cold, you get the snap; warmer, the rice and ginjo-like finish open up. I really want a glass of this.
MugiThen I want to sit down at HOP MAN with food and taste the blurry border. A beer walking between beer and sake? I want to drink that right now.
New tap: Saruyama Shikao
At HOP MAN, a beer pub in Jommasaka, Chigasaki, the collaboration beer Saruyama Shikao from Minoh Beer and Akishika Sake Brewery has been tapped. The post describes it as a Japanese Rice Brut, framing it as a beer with nuances that can also evoke sake.
According to the post, the beer uses about 10% koji rice from Akishika Sake Brewery, which works from rice cultivation through sake brewing in Nose, just outside Minoh. To make the most of the koji enzymes, the rice koji is added during fermentation rather than the mash. Saison yeast is used, while the hop bill is kept restrained with Motueka, Czech Saaz, and Citra so the character of the ingredients comes forward.
The specs are listed as 7.0% ABV and 15 IBU. The ingredient list is barley malt, rice koji, and hops. On the palate, it is described as bringing out rice-like flavor, saison-driven complexity, and a lingering aroma reminiscent of ginjo sake. The flavor also changes with temperature, making it a beer worth revisiting slowly.
HOP MAN is the kind of Chigasaki beer pub where these characterful rotating taps are part of the draw. Paired with food, Saruyama Shikao should make for an interesting stop for drinkers who want to explore the overlap between craft beer and sake-inspired brewing.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroAt Chigasaki's HOP MAN, the Minoh Beer x Akishika Shuzo collab SaruYamaShikaOtoko just tapped. The name alone already steals the first-round conversation.
MugiWhat! That name is wild. Monkey, mountain, deer, man... that's so much happening I want to double-take at the tap list.
Hop BroAnd the concept is Japanese Rice Brut. It uses about 10% koji rice and saison yeast, so it drinks dry but carries a sake-like nuance too.
MugiWait, what is koji rice? I thought we were talking about beer, and now sake just kicked the door open.
Hop BroThink of it as rice that brings enzymes. Akishika's koji rice goes in during fermentation and helps pull out rice flavor plus a ginjo-like aromatic finish.
MugiDuring fermentation? Not in the mash? That level of precision makes this sound less like a drink and more like a science experiment.
Hop BroThat's exactly the craft part. The hops are three restrained varieties too: Motueka, Czech Saaz, and Citra, all dialed back so the rice and yeast stay center stage.
MugiOhhh, IBU 15 and dry sounds approachable. But 7.0% also sounds like the kind of beer that smiles politely and then erases my evening.
Hop BroAnd it's the kind where the aroma shifts with temperature. Cold, you get the snap; warmer, the rice and ginjo-like finish open up. I really want a glass of this.
MugiThen I want to sit down at HOP MAN with food and taste the blurry border. A beer walking between beer and sake? I want to drink that right now.
