Far Yeast Brewing to Release Limited Ume Dashi Ale with Plum, Kombu and Bonito
Far Yeast Brewing will release Far Yeast Ume Dashi Ale, a limited-edition Wheat Ale made with plums from Kosuge Village, kombu and bonito flakes, on October 27. The beer brings together tart plum character and savory Japanese dashi-inspired flavors.
Hop BroA new ume-and-dashi beer is arriving for autumn. It’s Far Yeast Brewing’s “Far Yeast Ume Dashi Ale”!
MugiWhat?! Ume in beer is surprising enough, but it also has kelp and bonito dashi? My soup is making a toast!
Hop BroThat Japanese sense of deliciousness is exactly the goal. It layers tart ume from Kosuge Village, Yamanashi, with savory dashi and aroma.
MugiBut won’t dashi make it salty? What does Wheat Ale style mean for the drinking experience?
Hop BroA Wheat Ale typically uses wheat malt for a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Here, imagine that texture carrying bright ume and savory depth.
MugiOh wow! Soft beer with ume and dashi… it sounds like a perfect food-pairing beer. Grilled fish or oden, please!
Hop BroExactly. It’s 6.0% ABV, has an IBU of 10, and uses Cascade hops. An IBU of 10 means the bitterness should stay quite gentle.
MugiIBU suddenly sounds like a spell! It’s a bitterness scale, right? Maybe the low bitterness lets the dashi shine?
Hop BroYou’ve got it. It’s brewed at the Genryu Brewery in forested Kosuge Village, using water from the Tama River headwaters. That local connection is lovely.
MugiLimited quantities start October 27 in 350ml cans and 15L kegs! Cheers to ume dashi—if I spot it at a beer bar, I’m ordering immediately!
A Japanese-inspired beer built around plum and dashi
Far Yeast Brewing will release Far Yeast Ume Dashi Ale in limited quantities from October 27, 2026. The beer will be shipped successively through the brewery’s online store, liquor retailers, restaurants and beer bars across Japan.
Developed as part of the PLAY CRAFT BEER ACTIONS collaboration project, the beer focuses on the theme of “Japanese flavors.” Plums from Kosuge Village are paired with kombu and bonito flakes, creating a combination that brings together fruit acidity, umami and savory aroma. Rather than simply adding a fruit note to a conventional beer, the recipe approaches the balance of Japanese cuisine through a Wheat Ale format.
Far Yeast Ume Dashi Ale has an alcohol content of 6.0% and 10 IBU. Cascade is used as the hop, while the listed ingredients include malt, plum, sugar, hops, kombu and bonito flakes. Because the amount of plum exceeds the threshold defined under Japan’s liquor tax regulations, the product is labeled as happoshu, or a low-malt alcoholic beverage, rather than beer. It will be available in 350ml cans and 15L kegs at an open suggested retail price. Chilled storage is recommended.
Brewed at Far Yeast’s Kosuge source brewery
The beer is brewed at Far Yeast Brewing’s source brewery in Kosuge Village, Yamanashi. Located in the upper Tama River watershed, Kosuge is a forested village where more than 90% of the area is covered by woodland. The brewery uses clean water from the Tama River’s source region and benefits from the cool climate, which is well suited to fermentation.
Far Yeast Brewing moved its head-office functions to Kosuge in 2020 and has continued working with local businesses and producers throughout Yamanashi. The company has previously developed plum-based products including umeshu, gin and sour ale, as well as beers made with other regional agricultural ingredients. This new release extends that local approach into a beer designed around the flavors of plum, kombu and bonito.
A PLAY CRAFT BEER ACTIONS opening event will also take place at SPRING VALLEY BREWERY TOKYO in Daikanyama on October 24 and 25, featuring more than 20 craft beers from breweries across Japan.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroA new ume-and-dashi beer is arriving for autumn. It’s Far Yeast Brewing’s “Far Yeast Ume Dashi Ale”!
MugiWhat?! Ume in beer is surprising enough, but it also has kelp and bonito dashi? My soup is making a toast!
Hop BroThat Japanese sense of deliciousness is exactly the goal. It layers tart ume from Kosuge Village, Yamanashi, with savory dashi and aroma.
MugiBut won’t dashi make it salty? What does Wheat Ale style mean for the drinking experience?
Hop BroA Wheat Ale typically uses wheat malt for a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Here, imagine that texture carrying bright ume and savory depth.
MugiOh wow! Soft beer with ume and dashi… it sounds like a perfect food-pairing beer. Grilled fish or oden, please!
Hop BroExactly. It’s 6.0% ABV, has an IBU of 10, and uses Cascade hops. An IBU of 10 means the bitterness should stay quite gentle.
MugiIBU suddenly sounds like a spell! It’s a bitterness scale, right? Maybe the low bitterness lets the dashi shine?
Hop BroYou’ve got it. It’s brewed at the Genryu Brewery in forested Kosuge Village, using water from the Tama River headwaters. That local connection is lovely.
MugiLimited quantities start October 27 in 350ml cans and 15L kegs! Cheers to ume dashi—if I spot it at a beer bar, I’m ordering immediately!
