Kotokoto Beer bottles its Kyoto Station yuzu stout, Kanadome Ale
Kotokoto Beer, based in Kizugawa, Kyoto, has announced a new bottled release of Kanadome Ale. The original beer had previously been served only on draft at a craft beer shop near Kyoto Station’s Shinkansen gates.
Hop BroThat Kyoto Station favorite, Kanadome Ale, finally got bottled. Kotokoto Beer putting domestic yuzu into a stout is already enough to get my attention.
MugiWhat! So the Kyoto Station beer can come home with you now? That sounds like the kind of thing you'd want to pack along with your train memories!
Hop BroExactly. It used to be draft-only at the shop near the Shinkansen gates, but people loved it, so now it's becoming a bottle release.
MugiHold on, draft-only means what exactly? Please tell me this is not some wild system where you sip straight from the keg with a straw.
Hop BroNothing that dramatic. It just means beer poured from a keg, so basically it was the fresh version you only got at the store.
MugiWhoa, and it's a domestic yuzu stout? Dark and roasty, but also citrusy? My taste buds are calling an emergency meeting.
Hop BroWhen you layer yuzu aroma onto a stout's roasted character, it gets a lighter, more Japanese-style finish. The article says Kyoto-style Japanese notes are the key, and the whole theme is "kyo," read as kanadome.
MugiOkay... so is it sweet? Bitter? Or should I picture it as a stylish Japanese dark beer and move on?
Hop BroThat's pretty close. Kotokoto Beer also cares a lot about beer made for meals, so it sounds built to work nicely with food.
MugiThere it is again, beer made for meals! So you mean the beer doesn't hog the spotlight and lets the food go, "Please, you first"?
Hop BroExactly. Kotokoto Beer is a first in Yamashiro microbrewery in Kizugawa, and its style is all about reflecting the local character while keeping the beer easy to enjoy.
MugiI love that... a hit that grew popular at Kyoto Station is now a bottle you can enjoy at home. Tonight, a yuzu-scented stout sounds perfect.
Hop BroSame here. It feels like the kind of beer that works before a trip or after one, especially with food. I'm fully in open-it-right-now mode.
Kotokoto Beer, a microbrewery in Kizugawa, Kyoto, has announced a new product, Kanadome Ale. The beer had been offered at a craft beer specialty shop just steps from the Shinkansen gates at Kyoto Station, and until now it had been shipped only on draft. The brewery is now bringing it to market in bottled form.
Kotokoto Beer operates in Kyoto’s southernmost Yamashiro area, where it positions itself as the region’s first microbrewery. On its official site, the brewery describes its approach as making beers that complement food, using brewing knowledge and experience shaped by a location known for good water and agricultural richness.
According to the Instagram post, Kanadome Ale is a stout brewed with domestic yuzu. The beer is themed around "Kyo (Kanadome)" and is presented as having a Japanese-inspired Kyoto character. The brewery also noted that people who had already tried it at the shop had responded positively, which helped lead to the bottled release.
The result is a beer that connects a Kyoto Station tasting experience with Kotokoto Beer’s careful, place-based brewing style. For drinkers who associate the brewery with food-friendly beers and local identity, this bottled release adds another clear expression of that approach.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroThat Kyoto Station favorite, Kanadome Ale, finally got bottled. Kotokoto Beer putting domestic yuzu into a stout is already enough to get my attention.
MugiWhat! So the Kyoto Station beer can come home with you now? That sounds like the kind of thing you'd want to pack along with your train memories!
Hop BroExactly. It used to be draft-only at the shop near the Shinkansen gates, but people loved it, so now it's becoming a bottle release.
MugiHold on, draft-only means what exactly? Please tell me this is not some wild system where you sip straight from the keg with a straw.
Hop BroNothing that dramatic. It just means beer poured from a keg, so basically it was the fresh version you only got at the store.
MugiWhoa, and it's a domestic yuzu stout? Dark and roasty, but also citrusy? My taste buds are calling an emergency meeting.
Hop BroWhen you layer yuzu aroma onto a stout's roasted character, it gets a lighter, more Japanese-style finish. The article says Kyoto-style Japanese notes are the key, and the whole theme is "kyo," read as kanadome.
MugiOkay... so is it sweet? Bitter? Or should I picture it as a stylish Japanese dark beer and move on?
Hop BroThat's pretty close. Kotokoto Beer also cares a lot about beer made for meals, so it sounds built to work nicely with food.
MugiThere it is again, beer made for meals! So you mean the beer doesn't hog the spotlight and lets the food go, "Please, you first"?
Hop BroExactly. Kotokoto Beer is a first in Yamashiro microbrewery in Kizugawa, and its style is all about reflecting the local character while keeping the beer easy to enjoy.
MugiI love that... a hit that grew popular at Kyoto Station is now a bottle you can enjoy at home. Tonight, a yuzu-scented stout sounds perfect.
Hop BroSame here. It feels like the kind of beer that works before a trip or after one, especially with food. I'm fully in open-it-right-now mode.
