Yellow Monkey Brewing Wins Its First International Beer Cup Medals
Yokohama-based Yellow Monkey Brewing has received its first-ever International Beer Cup honors. GOHOBI IPA won Gold in the International-Style India Pale Ale category, while UTSUROI earned Bronze in the Sake Yeast Beer category at the 2026 competition.
Hop BroYellow Monkey Brewing in Yokohama just earned its first honors at the International Beer Cup 2026!
MugiWhat?! First time, and they won right away? Two medal-winning beers is incredible!
Hop BroFirst, GOHOBI IPA took gold in the IPA category. It is a well-earned reward beer born from a collaboration with Runtrip.
MugiA reward after running... if I jog to the station, do I qualify for a beer?
Hop BroAbsolutely! New Zealand hops bring vivid aroma, while the beer keeps a smooth, easy-drinking balance instead of leaning only on bitterness.
MugiAren't hops just bitter? What is special about New Zealand hops?
Hop BroMany of them shine with tropical-fruit and citrus-like aromas. In plain terms: it is a brightly fruity IPA that makes you go, “Whoa!”
MugiThat sounds like crossing the finish line with your nose first! And UTSUROI won bronze, right?
Hop BroRight. UTSUROI is a Sake Yeast Strong Ale built with sake yeast, rice koji, rice bran, wasanbon sugar, and umami from dashi: a beer of Japanese fermentation.
MugiThat is a whole fancy tasting menu of ingredients! So, what is sake yeast? Can it really work in beer?
Hop BroIt is yeast used in sake brewing. As it ferments sugars, it contributes its own flavor and aroma, giving beer a deep, layered character.
MugiWow! New Zealand hop culture and Japanese fermentation culture meeting in Yokohama—that really is two styles, both awarded!
Hop BroExactly. Among 1,459 entries from 21 countries and regions, YMB's present and future were recognized. It feels like Yokohama reaching the world.
MugiThen let's toast with GOHOBI IPA today and savor UTSUROI next! Our reward-beer adventure starts now!
Two medals mark YMB’s first International Beer Cup honors
Yellow Monkey Brewing (YMB), based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, announced that two of its beers received medals at the International Beer Cup 2026, announced on October 6, 2026. It is the brewery’s first time winning at the competition.
GOHOBI IPA took Gold in the International-Style India Pale Ale category. The New Zealand Style IPA reflects head brewer Kengo Saito’s brewing experience in New Zealand, as well as the hop culture and beers he encountered there. Created in collaboration with Runtrip, the beer is built around the idea that a drink after a run should feel rewarding. Bright New Zealand hop aroma is paired with a balanced bitterness designed to invite another sip.
UTSUROI won Bronze in the Sake Yeast Beer category. This Sake Yeast Strong Ale combines sake yeast, rice koji, rice bran, wasanbon sugar and umami derived from dashi. Rather than simply adding Japanese ingredients, YMB developed the beer to explore how Japan’s fermentation and food culture could be expressed as a beer. The current release is its second batch, following continued experimentation with sake yeast in beers such as TORIAEZU.
A result that connects YMB’s roots and future
The International Beer Cup is an international competition organized by the Japan Brewers Association. Founded in 1996, the 2026 event attracted 1,459 entries from 374 participating breweries and businesses across 21 countries and regions.
YMB is developing along two creative paths: New Zealand Style Beer, rooted in the brewer’s experience overseas, and Japanese Style Beer, which reinterprets Japan’s fermentation heritage. The simultaneous recognition of GOHOBI IPA and UTSUROI therefore carries significance beyond two individual medals: one reflects the brewery’s foundation, while the other points toward its future.
YMB describes the awards not as a finish line, but as renewed confidence for its next stage. From Yokohama, the brewery will continue moving between international brewing knowledge and distinctly Japanese ingredients and fermentation traditions as it develops its own expression.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroYellow Monkey Brewing in Yokohama just earned its first honors at the International Beer Cup 2026!
MugiWhat?! First time, and they won right away? Two medal-winning beers is incredible!
Hop BroFirst, GOHOBI IPA took gold in the IPA category. It is a well-earned reward beer born from a collaboration with Runtrip.
MugiA reward after running... if I jog to the station, do I qualify for a beer?
Hop BroAbsolutely! New Zealand hops bring vivid aroma, while the beer keeps a smooth, easy-drinking balance instead of leaning only on bitterness.
MugiAren't hops just bitter? What is special about New Zealand hops?
Hop BroMany of them shine with tropical-fruit and citrus-like aromas. In plain terms: it is a brightly fruity IPA that makes you go, “Whoa!”
MugiThat sounds like crossing the finish line with your nose first! And UTSUROI won bronze, right?
Hop BroRight. UTSUROI is a Sake Yeast Strong Ale built with sake yeast, rice koji, rice bran, wasanbon sugar, and umami from dashi: a beer of Japanese fermentation.
MugiThat is a whole fancy tasting menu of ingredients! So, what is sake yeast? Can it really work in beer?
Hop BroIt is yeast used in sake brewing. As it ferments sugars, it contributes its own flavor and aroma, giving beer a deep, layered character.
MugiWow! New Zealand hop culture and Japanese fermentation culture meeting in Yokohama—that really is two styles, both awarded!
Hop BroExactly. Among 1,459 entries from 21 countries and regions, YMB's present and future were recognized. It feels like Yokohama reaching the world.
MugiThen let's toast with GOHOBI IPA today and savor UTSUROI next! Our reward-beer adventure starts now!
