MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN Starts Serving Shonan Beer’s Sansho IPA
MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN in Chigasaki, Kanagawa, is now serving Shonan Beer’s Sansho IPA. The herb-spice ale layers sansho pepper character over American hop aroma for a distinctive seasonal pour.
Hop BroToday's topic is Sansho IPA on tap. At MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN in Chigasaki, they're pouring this Shonan Beer from Kumazawa Shuzo.
MugiWait, sansho and IPA together? That sounds either brilliant or like my tongue is about to protest!
Hop BroThat contrast is exactly the point. The style is Herb Spice Ale, it's 6.0% ABV, and the hops are Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe.
MugiOkay, but what is a whirlpool addition? Are they giving the beer a tiny hot-spring treatment?
Hop BroThat's not far off, actually. The hot wort gets spun so leaf sansho harvested in Hadano by Mr. Otake can release aroma, and powdered sansho goes in at dry-hop timing for extra lift.
MugiWhat is this, a two-stage sansho attack? That sounds like a boss-level aroma combo!
Hop BroAnd there's history behind it too. It started as a Portland collaboration with Widmer Brothers Brewing, which helps explain the mix of sansho brightness, American hop aroma, and malt sweetness.
MugiThat is absurdly cool. And MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN is the restaurant in the reused prewar wooden malt factory, right? Even the building sounds delicious.
Hop BroExactly. With stone-oven Neapolitan pizza, fresh bread from the bakery, and five minutes from Chigasaki Station, it's set up perfectly for lunch or dinner drinks.
MugiNo, because now I'm picturing pizza and Sansho IPA and my stomach has already made travel plans.
Hop BroI really want to try it with food. It sounds like a perfect seasonal pour to test that crisp sansho finish against a full meal.
MugiThen it's settled. I want a pour now and maybe a second one too, strictly for investigation purposes.
A sansho-scented Shonan Beer on the menu
MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN, operated by Kumazawa Brewery in Chigasaki, Kanagawa, is now serving Shonan Beer’s "Sansho IPA" inside the restaurant. In the Instagram post, the beer is introduced as a herb-spice ale with 6.0% ABV and Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. The release also notes that it began as a collaboration beer with Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon.
What sets this beer apart is the use of two kinds of sansho pepper: ground sansho and leaf sansho. The leaf sansho was harvested in Hadano, Kanagawa, by Mr. Otake and steeped in the whirlpool for aroma, while the ground sansho was added at the dry-hopping stage. The result is a beer where bright, refreshing sansho character meets American hop aroma and malt sweetness in balanced layers.
MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN itself is a spacious restaurant built from a prewar wooden grain-processing factory. Guests can enjoy stone-oven Neapolitan pizza and a wide range of dishes, and the adjacent Baker’s Cafe offers freshly baked bread from MOKICHI Baker & Sweets. Located about a five-minute walk from Chigasaki Station, it is an easy place to pair a seasonal beer with lunch or dinner.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's topic is Sansho IPA on tap. At MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN in Chigasaki, they're pouring this Shonan Beer from Kumazawa Shuzo.
MugiWait, sansho and IPA together? That sounds either brilliant or like my tongue is about to protest!
Hop BroThat contrast is exactly the point. The style is Herb Spice Ale, it's 6.0% ABV, and the hops are Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe.
MugiOkay, but what is a whirlpool addition? Are they giving the beer a tiny hot-spring treatment?
Hop BroThat's not far off, actually. The hot wort gets spun so leaf sansho harvested in Hadano by Mr. Otake can release aroma, and powdered sansho goes in at dry-hop timing for extra lift.
MugiWhat is this, a two-stage sansho attack? That sounds like a boss-level aroma combo!
Hop BroAnd there's history behind it too. It started as a Portland collaboration with Widmer Brothers Brewing, which helps explain the mix of sansho brightness, American hop aroma, and malt sweetness.
MugiThat is absurdly cool. And MOKICHI FOODSGARDEN is the restaurant in the reused prewar wooden malt factory, right? Even the building sounds delicious.
Hop BroExactly. With stone-oven Neapolitan pizza, fresh bread from the bakery, and five minutes from Chigasaki Station, it's set up perfectly for lunch or dinner drinks.
MugiNo, because now I'm picturing pizza and Sansho IPA and my stomach has already made travel plans.
Hop BroI really want to try it with food. It sounds like a perfect seasonal pour to test that crisp sansho finish against a full meal.
MugiThen it's settled. I want a pour now and maybe a second one too, strictly for investigation purposes.
