Iwanai Brewery & Hotel to hold hop harvest event on August 13
Iwanai Brewery & Hotel will hold its hop harvest event on August 13, 2026, on the terrace in front of the brewery. Volunteers are welcome, and day-use bath reception starts after 3:00 p.m. The brewery also says preparation is underway for the next day’s fresh-hop brewing.
Hop BroMugi, tomorrow, August 13, is the Iwanai Hop Harvest Festival. At the terrace in front of Iwanai Brewery & Hotel, you get to see the very start of beer making up close.
MugiWhat! Picking hops yourself? That sounds like a craft beer treasure hunt, and now I want in.
Hop BroYep, it runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., they're taking volunteers, and walk-ins are welcome. Bring gloves and bug spray, which makes it feel properly hands-on.
MugiNo way, a brewery terrace event sounds so fun. And that's the place where you can drink, eat, and even stay overnight, right?
Hop BroExactly. Iwanai Brewery & Hotel opened in 2022, and one of its signatures is brewing with deep ocean water from Iwanai. They use five 500-liter tanks for four core beers plus seasonal releases.
MugiWait, brewed with deep ocean water? Does that make the beer taste like the sea? My brain is imagining fizzy soup.
Hop BroEasy mistake. It's more about the character of the brewing water. It shapes texture and local identity; it's not like you're drinking seawater in a pint.
MugiOhhh! And on August 14 they're already making room to brew Iwanai Fresh Hop Hazy, right? That name alone already smells juicy.
Hop BroExactly, and hazy is a cloudy hop-forward style. Softer mouthfeel, big aroma, and when the farm is this close to the brewery, the freshness really matters.
MugiSo that's what hazy means! I heard serious beer jargon and panicked, but really it's the fragrant, soft-feeling one!
Hop BroAnd after 3 p.m. they start day-use hot spring entry, so you can harvest hops, soak in a bath, and head home. Add the volunteer souvenir, and I'm already impatient for that late-September pour.
MugiPicking hops, then hot springs, then waiting for the late-September release is peak beer happiness. I do not want to miss that first glass.
A summer hop harvest in Iwanai
Iwanai Brewery & Hotel is looking for volunteers to help harvest hops grown in Iwanai. The event is scheduled for August 13, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the terrace in front of the brewery. In the post, the brewery says walk-ins are welcome and includes photos from last year’s harvest.
A brewery shaped by its location
Based in Iwanai, Hokkaido, Iwanai Brewery & Hotel describes itself as a craft brewery where people can drink, eat, and stay overnight. Its official site says the brewery opened in 2022, uses deep ocean water from Iwanai in brewing, and operates five 500-liter tanks. It produces four core beers along with seasonal and limited releases, and fresh hops harvested in summer are brewed and released in autumn.
From harvest to fresh-hop beer
The Instagram post also gives practical details for visitors: bring gloves and insect repellent, and bring a towel if you plan to return after using the baths. Small gifts will be given to those who help. The brewery says it has already emptied a tank for brewing the next batch of "Iwanai Nama Hop Hazy" on August 14, with a hoped-for opening in late September. For beer fans, it is a rare chance to see harvest and brewing as one connected process.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroMugi, tomorrow, August 13, is the Iwanai Hop Harvest Festival. At the terrace in front of Iwanai Brewery & Hotel, you get to see the very start of beer making up close.
MugiWhat! Picking hops yourself? That sounds like a craft beer treasure hunt, and now I want in.
Hop BroYep, it runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., they're taking volunteers, and walk-ins are welcome. Bring gloves and bug spray, which makes it feel properly hands-on.
MugiNo way, a brewery terrace event sounds so fun. And that's the place where you can drink, eat, and even stay overnight, right?
Hop BroExactly. Iwanai Brewery & Hotel opened in 2022, and one of its signatures is brewing with deep ocean water from Iwanai. They use five 500-liter tanks for four core beers plus seasonal releases.
MugiWait, brewed with deep ocean water? Does that make the beer taste like the sea? My brain is imagining fizzy soup.
Hop BroEasy mistake. It's more about the character of the brewing water. It shapes texture and local identity; it's not like you're drinking seawater in a pint.
MugiOhhh! And on August 14 they're already making room to brew Iwanai Fresh Hop Hazy, right? That name alone already smells juicy.
Hop BroExactly, and hazy is a cloudy hop-forward style. Softer mouthfeel, big aroma, and when the farm is this close to the brewery, the freshness really matters.
MugiSo that's what hazy means! I heard serious beer jargon and panicked, but really it's the fragrant, soft-feeling one!
Hop BroAnd after 3 p.m. they start day-use hot spring entry, so you can harvest hops, soak in a bath, and head home. Add the volunteer souvenir, and I'm already impatient for that late-September pour.
MugiPicking hops, then hot springs, then waiting for the late-September release is peak beer happiness. I do not want to miss that first glass.
