Ishikawa Sake Brewery Wins Four Awards at JGBA 2026, Brewer-in-Charge Comments Released
Ishikawa Sake Brewery's Mukozo Beer Workshop in Fussa, Tokyo, won four awards at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2026. In an Instagram post at 13:25 on March 3, 2026, beer brewer-in-charge Tsuchiya spoke candidly, saying he was "happy" and indicating a policy of further raising quality.
Hop BroToday's big topic is huge. Ishikawa Sake Brewery's Mukozo Beer Workshop in Fussa, Tokyo, won four awards at JGBA 2026, including 2 golds and 2 silvers!
MugiWait, four at once!? Which beers won?
Hop BroThe golds went to "Tama no Megumi Pilsner" and "TOYODA BEER," while the silvers went to "Tama no Megumi Pale Ale" and "Tama no Megumi Dunkel." It really feels like the quality of their core beers has been strongly proven.
MugiWow, a pilsner, a pale ale, and a dunkel are pretty different styles, right? Winning with all of those is impressive, isn't it?
Hop BroThat's the key point. Ishikawa Sake Brewery is good at "balanced design." On top of that, they use their own underground natural water, which is also used for sake, to bring out the character of the place.
MugiWhat? Balanced design? Do they literally draw up blueprints for that? And does underground natural water really change the taste that much?
Hop BroBasically, it means crafting the beer with a deliberate balance of bitterness, aroma, body, and aftertaste. Water is like the foundation, like broth in cooking, so even the same recipe can leave a different impression. That's what gives it that Fussa character.
MugiOh... winning because they've been building up with local water has kind of a dramatic feel to it.
Hop BroAnd in an Instagram post on March 3, brewing manager Tsuchiya said he was "happy" in very plain terms, while also commenting that he wants to raise the quality even further from here. That kind of craftsman spirit is hot.
MugiI want to drink it now! Let's start with the gold-winning Pilsner and TOYODA BEER, then move on to the silver-winning Pale Ale and Dunkel for a tasting comparison tonight!
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) announced that it won a total of four awards at the "Japan Great Beer Awards 2026," held on February 22 and 23, 2026. The breakdown was 2 golds and 2 silvers. For craft beer fans, it was news that once again made the quality of its signature beers clearly visible.
The award-winning beers were as follows.
- Gold: Tama no Megumi Pilsner
- Gold: TOYODA BEER
- Silver: Tama no Megumi Pale Ale
- Silver: Tama no Megumi Dunkel
Then, in an Instagram post on March 3, the brewing manager, Tsuchiya, shared a comment. Along with his joy at winning four awards at once, he expressed his intention to maintain the recognized quality while continuing to improve his brewing techniques. Rather than ending with a report of the awards, the post impressively carried the story forward to the quality of the next glass.
Ishikawa Sake Brewery's beer-making has roots in the brewing history of the Meiji era, and was relaunched in 1998 under the name "Tama no Megumi." Official information also explains that the brewing uses the brewery's own underground natural water, which is also used for sake, consistently highlighting the character of Fussa, Tokyo. This award seems less like a one-off headline and more like the result of accumulated, region-rooted brewing being recognized by the judges.
On the sales side, the award-winning beers are available through retail shops and the online store. If you want to compare them, start with the gold-winning Pilsner and TOYODA BEER, then move on to the silver-winning Pale Ale and Dunkel; that should make it easier to grasp the breadth of the brewery's balanced approach.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's big topic is huge. Ishikawa Sake Brewery's Mukozo Beer Workshop in Fussa, Tokyo, won four awards at JGBA 2026, including 2 golds and 2 silvers!
MugiWait, four at once!? Which beers won?
Hop BroThe golds went to "Tama no Megumi Pilsner" and "TOYODA BEER," while the silvers went to "Tama no Megumi Pale Ale" and "Tama no Megumi Dunkel." It really feels like the quality of their core beers has been strongly proven.
MugiWow, a pilsner, a pale ale, and a dunkel are pretty different styles, right? Winning with all of those is impressive, isn't it?
Hop BroThat's the key point. Ishikawa Sake Brewery is good at "balanced design." On top of that, they use their own underground natural water, which is also used for sake, to bring out the character of the place.
MugiWhat? Balanced design? Do they literally draw up blueprints for that? And does underground natural water really change the taste that much?
Hop BroBasically, it means crafting the beer with a deliberate balance of bitterness, aroma, body, and aftertaste. Water is like the foundation, like broth in cooking, so even the same recipe can leave a different impression. That's what gives it that Fussa character.
MugiOh... winning because they've been building up with local water has kind of a dramatic feel to it.
Hop BroAnd in an Instagram post on March 3, brewing manager Tsuchiya said he was "happy" in very plain terms, while also commenting that he wants to raise the quality even further from here. That kind of craftsman spirit is hot.
MugiI want to drink it now! Let's start with the gold-winning Pilsner and TOYODA BEER, then move on to the silver-winning Pale Ale and Dunkel for a tasting comparison tonight!
