Omi Beer spotlights a grape-sansho ale for eel season in Otsu, Shiga
Omi Beer, based in Otsu, Shiga, introduced a Sansho Ale made with grape sansho on Instagram. The beer is listed at ABV 5.5% and IBU 22, and the brewery says its floral aroma and crisp spice pair well with rich eel and sweet-savory sauce.
Omi Beer is a craft brewery in Otsu, Shiga. On its official website, it describes itself as one of the smallest craft breweries in the category and says it focuses on seasonal ingredients and limited brewing. It also starts selling its monthly "beer of the month" on the first Sunday of each month, which fits the brewery's flexible, ingredient-driven approach.
The beer featured in the Instagram post is "Sansho Ale," brewed with grape sansho. According to the post, it comes in at ABV 5.5% and IBU 22, and uses sansho grown at Sunainosato in Otsu. The brewery highlights a bright aroma and a clean, lingering spiciness, and says the beer works especially well with eel's rich flavor and sweet-savory glaze.
Sansho is a familiar seasoning with eel, but this beer takes that pairing and translates it into liquid form. The idea of a "drinkable sansho" matches Omi Beer's style of building beers around food pairing, local ingredients, and seasonality. Rather than a broad national release story, this is a concise example of how a small brewery can turn a summer food tradition into a beer concept rooted in its own city and region.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.