Quartet Brewing’s Andante ESB Wins Gold at the 2026 Craft Beer Grand Prix
Quartet Brewing, a brewery and taproom in Karuizawa, Nagano, has announced that its flagship Andante ESB won a Gold Award in the Premium Slow Life category at the Craft Beer Grand Prix 2026. The English pale ale is built around rich malt character and a relaxed drinking experience.
Hop BroGreat news from Karuizawa’s Quartet Brewing: its flagship Andante ESB won gold.
MugiWhat, gold!? Which competition was it, and what kind of beer is it? The name sounds elegant!
Hop BroIt won the Premium Slow Life category at Craft Beer Grand Prix 2026. It’s an English pale ale, at 5% ABV and 35 IBU.
MugiIBU 35... that suddenly sounds like a code! Is it like a bitterness score?
Hop BroPretty much! IBU measures bitterness, and 35 is moderate. This beer has a malt-forward design, so bitterness isn’t trying to steal the show.
MugiOoh! So what does it taste like? When I hear malt, I picture an entire loaf of bread!
Hop BroThat’s not far off. Think tea with orange jam, plus toasted bread and biscuit notes. It has layers of fragrant malt.
MugiOrange-jam tea and biscuits... that sounds less like beer and more like an afternoon snack summit! I want to sip it slowly.
Hop BroExactly. “Andante” is a musical term meaning a walking pace, which fits the award’s slow, relaxed moments perfectly.
MugiIf we can drink it at the taproom on Karuizawa Hondori, I want the scenery as a snack too! Let’s toast with a gold-winning pint, Hop-bro!
Quartet Brewing of Karuizawa, Nagano, has announced that its year-round beer Andante ESB won a Gold Award in the Premium Slow Life category at the Craft Beer Grand Prix 2026.
Andante ESB is an English pale ale with an ABV of 5% and an IBU of 35. According to the brewery, it combines a flavor reminiscent of black tea with orange jam and the toasted, biscuit-like character of malt. Rather than relying on intense hop expression, the beer is designed to showcase malt sweetness, toastiness and a rounded finish.
The name “Andante” is a musical term meaning a walking pace. That idea fits the beer’s concept: a pint suited to a relaxed afternoon and unhurried drinking. It also aligns naturally with the Premium Slow Life category, which celebrates beers that complement a slower, more considered way of enjoying time.
Quartet Brewing operates a brewery and taproom on Karuizawa’s main street. The brewery’s name reflects its focus on the four essential elements of beer—malt, hops, yeast and water—and the harmony created when they work together. Since opening in 2021, it has produced a broad range of styles, including American wheat ales, IPAs, brown ales, stouts, sour ales and beers made with herbs and spices.
The brewery has received recognition for several other beers as well. Sour con Spirito won Gold in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2025, while Elderflower Ale won Gold in the Flavor & Specialty category at the Beer-1 Grand Prix 2025. Andante ESB’s latest award highlights another side of the brewery’s work: its careful approach to classic, malt-forward beer.
Visitors to Karuizawa can look for Andante ESB at Quartet Brewing’s taproom and experience the beer’s gentle bitterness, malty depth and tea-like citrus character at the source.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroGreat news from Karuizawa’s Quartet Brewing: its flagship Andante ESB won gold.
MugiWhat, gold!? Which competition was it, and what kind of beer is it? The name sounds elegant!
Hop BroIt won the Premium Slow Life category at Craft Beer Grand Prix 2026. It’s an English pale ale, at 5% ABV and 35 IBU.
MugiIBU 35... that suddenly sounds like a code! Is it like a bitterness score?
Hop BroPretty much! IBU measures bitterness, and 35 is moderate. This beer has a malt-forward design, so bitterness isn’t trying to steal the show.
MugiOoh! So what does it taste like? When I hear malt, I picture an entire loaf of bread!
Hop BroThat’s not far off. Think tea with orange jam, plus toasted bread and biscuit notes. It has layers of fragrant malt.
MugiOrange-jam tea and biscuits... that sounds less like beer and more like an afternoon snack summit! I want to sip it slowly.
Hop BroExactly. “Andante” is a musical term meaning a walking pace, which fits the award’s slow, relaxed moments perfectly.
MugiIf we can drink it at the taproom on Karuizawa Hondori, I want the scenery as a snack too! Let’s toast with a gold-winning pint, Hop-bro!
