Naminooto Brewing Releases Rice IPA 'WEEKENDERS' for ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026
Naminooto Brewing has released a new product, 'WEEKENDERS.' It is a rice IPA brewed with rice from farm studio on Awaji Island, a collaboration with the outdoor festival 'ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026' in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture. Sales for businesses begin at 12:00 p.m. on May 20, and sales to the general public begin on May 27.
Hop BroNaminooto Brewing's new beer from Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, 'WEEKENDERS,' is out. It's a collaboration for ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026, and the fact that it's a rice IPA already has me curious.
MugiWhoa! What is a rice IPA? If it has rice in it, does the beer get sweeter? Or does it taste like rice?
Hop BroGood question. This 'WEEKENDERS' is designed to bring out a gentle rice character while keeping the hop aroma crisp and clear. The image is of an IPA that stays light and easy to drink.
MugiHuh, so an IPA sounds bitter, but if it's a light-drinking beer, it sounds like something you could gulp down at a festival! But what's that IBU thing?
Hop BroThat matters too. This one is IBU 25, so the bitterness is pretty mild. And with an alcohol content of 5.5%, it feels like they aimed for a balance between drinkability and aroma.
MugiWait, so to get technical, does it have malt and rice koji in it? This suddenly feels like the world of Japanese cuisine!
Hop BroExactly. The ingredients are barley malt and rice koji, plus wheat malt and hops. It uses rice from farm studio on Awaji Island, and what's interesting is how well the softness of the grains comes through.
MugiI see! So the gentle sweetness of rice and the hop aroma get along really well. Festival beer feels fun even before you drink it!
Hop BroExactly. Since it carries the name ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026, you can think of it as a beer packed with the atmosphere of the venue and the excitement of the weekend.
MugiWow, hearing it like that, it's already a festival-mood beer! And business sales start at 12:00 p.m. on May 20, with general sales starting on May 27? I can't wait!
Hop BroThat's right. Waiting for the May 27 sales start and opening it over the weekend would be perfect. With the Awaji Island ingredients and fruity aroma, this is the kind of beer that makes you want to get a glass ready right away.
MugiI'm done for, it's going on my list of tonight's beer candidates! This is the kind of beer that makes you want to say 'WEEKENDERS' while drinking it!
Naminooto Brewing, based in Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, has announced a new product, WEEKENDERS. The style is rice IPA, with an alcohol content of 5.5% and an IBU of 25. The ingredients include barley malt, rice, wheat malt, hops, and rice koji, making this a beer that incorporates the "rice" from farm studio on Awaji Island.
According to the official post, the flavor is described as a "refreshing rice IPA." It is designed to layer a gentle rice character over a clean, fruity hop flavor, aiming for both light drinkability and aroma. With IPA brewed using rice, one of the highlights is how the soft grain-derived character is balanced with the outline of the hops, and this release clearly follows that direction.
This time, it is also a collaboration brew with the outdoor festival "ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026" in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture. Products that carry an event name often translate the atmosphere of the venue and the excitement of the season directly into the beer, making it easy to imagine the connection between the festival and the drinking experience. It will be interesting to see how Naminooto Brewing expresses the intersection of local ingredients and an outside event.
Sales will begin in stages. On the business-only EC site, 350 ml cans will go on sale from 12:00 p.m. on May 20, and on the general consumer EC site, sales will begin on May 27. Naminooto Brewing advocates beer-making that makes use of Awaji Island's nature and agricultural products, and that stance is clearly reflected in this new release as well. As a newly crafted IPA using local ingredients, this is a release whose response will be worth watching.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroNaminooto Brewing's new beer from Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, 'WEEKENDERS,' is out. It's a collaboration for ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026, and the fact that it's a rice IPA already has me curious.
MugiWhoa! What is a rice IPA? If it has rice in it, does the beer get sweeter? Or does it taste like rice?
Hop BroGood question. This 'WEEKENDERS' is designed to bring out a gentle rice character while keeping the hop aroma crisp and clear. The image is of an IPA that stays light and easy to drink.
MugiHuh, so an IPA sounds bitter, but if it's a light-drinking beer, it sounds like something you could gulp down at a festival! But what's that IBU thing?
Hop BroThat matters too. This one is IBU 25, so the bitterness is pretty mild. And with an alcohol content of 5.5%, it feels like they aimed for a balance between drinkability and aroma.
MugiWait, so to get technical, does it have malt and rice koji in it? This suddenly feels like the world of Japanese cuisine!
Hop BroExactly. The ingredients are barley malt and rice koji, plus wheat malt and hops. It uses rice from farm studio on Awaji Island, and what's interesting is how well the softness of the grains comes through.
MugiI see! So the gentle sweetness of rice and the hop aroma get along really well. Festival beer feels fun even before you drink it!
Hop BroExactly. Since it carries the name ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS 2026, you can think of it as a beer packed with the atmosphere of the venue and the excitement of the weekend.
MugiWow, hearing it like that, it's already a festival-mood beer! And business sales start at 12:00 p.m. on May 20, with general sales starting on May 27? I can't wait!
Hop BroThat's right. Waiting for the May 27 sales start and opening it over the weekend would be perfect. With the Awaji Island ingredients and fruity aroma, this is the kind of beer that makes you want to get a glass ready right away.
MugiI'm done for, it's going on my list of tonight's beer candidates! This is the kind of beer that makes you want to say 'WEEKENDERS' while drinking it!
