Release Overview


Sankt Gallen Brewery (Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture) began selling its fruit beer “Shonan Gold,” made with Kanagawa-grown orange Shonan Gold, on April 14. This spring-summer limited product will be available through the end of September. Bottles can be purchased from the official online shop and selected department stores, while draft beer can be enjoyed at the brewery’s directly operated taproom, just outside the north exit of Hon-Atsugi Station.

Designed to Use the Fruit Whole


Shonan Gold is an original citrus variety developed by Kanagawa Prefecture over 12 years. Though it looks like a lemon with its yellow color, its flavor when eaten is like a sweet orange, with a bright, fragrant aroma. At Sankt Gallen, even fruit with blemishes or outside size specifications is used, and both the peel and juice are brewed in without waste. Each batch uses about 500 kg of fruit.

The base is a wheat ale made with 20% wheat malt. It is paired with Citra hops, known for their citrus aroma, creating a balance between a pronounced fragrance and a soft drinking character. The product is 5% ABV, 330 ml, and under Japan’s liquor tax law it is labeled as “happoshu” because of the amount of fruit used.

In the Context of Sankt Gallen


Sankt Gallen is a brewery known as the “originator of local beer,” having carried out small-scale brewing in the United States before craft beer was legalized in Japan. While continuing to focus on ale-based brewing, it has also produced many items that make use of seasonal fruit.

“Shonan Gold” began as a test brew in 2007 and has been produced as a spring-summer limited beer since 2008, making it a long-running bestseller. In 2009, it was also adopted as Shonan Bellmare’s “Bellmare Beer,” and has since become established as a local craft beer. As a beer that connects Kanagawa citrus with the Atsugi brewery, it has become a seasonal staple every year at this time.