And Beer Katsunuma Brewery × HAKKO DEPARTMENT: "Kamikane Lager" brewed with Yamanashi terraced rice
The limited collaboration "Kamikane Lager" from And Beer Katsunuma Brewery and HAKKO DEPARTMENT is getting attention. Made with Koshihikari rice grown in the terraced fields of the Kamikane district in Koshu City, Yamanashi, it balances the soft aroma derived from rice with the crisp finish of a lager. It is a beer worth watching as a bridge between regional food culture and craft beer.
Hop BroToday's topic is the limited Kamikane Lager collaboration! And Beer Katsunuma Brewery and HAKKO DEPARTMENT teamed up to make a beer using Yamanashi terraced rice.
MugiWhoa! Beer made with terraced rice? What is that even? Rice and beer are fighting in my head!
Hop BroThe style is designed as a Rice Lager, and the key is using Koshihikari from the Kamikane district, cooked and added during the brew. At 6.0% ABV, it balances a gentle aroma with a crisp finish.
MugiHuh? Cooked rice in the brew? Now I can't tell whether this is a kitchen or a brewery!
Hop BroHere's the trick: the rice starch is first broken down through the saccharification process so the yeast can consume it easily. In other words, it's a technique that leaves only the soft feel of rice while making the drinking experience clean and light.
MugiThat's so smart! It feels like getting the best parts of rice - like a lager on the palate and something cozy on the nose!
Hop BroAnd what's interesting is not just the flavor, but that it's a collaboration between overlapping communities. The project grew out of exchanges with the HAKKO DEPARTMENT Yamanashi store, and it became a beer that local farmers could also feel was "their own."
MugiThat's hot...! So where can I drink it? It says you can enjoy it as you roam around - does that mean I can do a bar crawl?!
Hop BroSales are centered at the Shimokitazawa and Yamanashi locations, through HAKKO DEPARTMENT and And Beer sites. The real appeal of this collaboration is that the experience connects as you move between the shops and the region.
MugiI've decided, I want to actually drink it and confirm the gentle opening of the rice and the lager's crisp edge!
Hop BroSame here, I want to have a glass right now. Let's use Kamikane Lager as a snack while we talk about the next Yamanashi-born collaboration!
According to collaboration information shared by And Beer, "Kamikane Lager" is a rice lager made with terraced-field rice (Koshihikari) from the Kamikane district in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. By incorporating cooked rice into the brewing process, the recipe layers rice-derived nuance onto a clean, refreshing drinking profile. The style is Rice Lager, and the ABV is 6.0%.
At the heart of this project is not just the novelty of using a side ingredient, but the relationship between makers whose daily worlds overlap. In an interview on the And Beer side, they explained how the collaboration took shape through exchanges with HAKKO DEPARTMENT's Yamanashi store and settled on the local ingredient of rice from the Kamikane district. As a result, the beer has become something that local farmers and residents can feel is "their own."
Distribution is centered on HAKKO DEPARTMENT (Shimokitazawa and Yamanashi) and And Beer's various locations. Beyond the beer itself, the partnership also connects to place-making around the HAKKO DEPARTMENT Yamanashi store. Rather than simply drinking it and being done, the real appeal is enjoying it while moving around the shop and the surrounding area.
After consolidating its brewing operations in Katsunuma, Yamanashi, And Beer has been deepening its beer making with a strong sense of place. With that background in mind, "Kamikane Lager" feels like more than a limited release; it is also an emblematic glass that signals where the brewery stands in Katsunuma now. As you confirm the gentle opening of the rice and the sharp finish of the lager, it is easy to look forward to the next chapter of Yamanashi-born "fermentation collaborations."
References: Kamikane Lager (And Beer), How Kamikane Lager Was Made (And Beer), And Beer Official Site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's topic is the limited Kamikane Lager collaboration! And Beer Katsunuma Brewery and HAKKO DEPARTMENT teamed up to make a beer using Yamanashi terraced rice.
MugiWhoa! Beer made with terraced rice? What is that even? Rice and beer are fighting in my head!
Hop BroThe style is designed as a Rice Lager, and the key is using Koshihikari from the Kamikane district, cooked and added during the brew. At 6.0% ABV, it balances a gentle aroma with a crisp finish.
MugiHuh? Cooked rice in the brew? Now I can't tell whether this is a kitchen or a brewery!
Hop BroHere's the trick: the rice starch is first broken down through the saccharification process so the yeast can consume it easily. In other words, it's a technique that leaves only the soft feel of rice while making the drinking experience clean and light.
MugiThat's so smart! It feels like getting the best parts of rice - like a lager on the palate and something cozy on the nose!
Hop BroAnd what's interesting is not just the flavor, but that it's a collaboration between overlapping communities. The project grew out of exchanges with the HAKKO DEPARTMENT Yamanashi store, and it became a beer that local farmers could also feel was "their own."
MugiThat's hot...! So where can I drink it? It says you can enjoy it as you roam around - does that mean I can do a bar crawl?!
Hop BroSales are centered at the Shimokitazawa and Yamanashi locations, through HAKKO DEPARTMENT and And Beer sites. The real appeal of this collaboration is that the experience connects as you move between the shops and the region.
MugiI've decided, I want to actually drink it and confirm the gentle opening of the rice and the lager's crisp edge!
Hop BroSame here, I want to have a glass right now. Let's use Kamikane Lager as a snack while we talk about the next Yamanashi-born collaboration!
