OGA BREWING COMPANY (Mitaka, Tokyo) is selling "Red Post IPA (Can)" as the third beer in its regional-themed series.

Third in the series themed on Kodaira


According to the product page, this is the third installment in a series themed on Kodaira, a city known for its lively urban agriculture. Inspired by the "round postbox," the most common type in Tokyo, the beer leans heavily into a nostalgic world view.

When poured into a glass, its color is a slightly orange-tinged shade that evokes a sunset sky. The flavor is designed so that hop bitterness and aroma, neither of which are overly sharp, are layered with a nostalgic biscuit note. It is an IPA with an ABV of 6.0% and an IBU of 53. The malts used are RED-X, Maris Otter, and Munich, and the hops are Columbus, Cascade, Chinook, and Amarillo.

A beer that starts with a story, in true OGA style


OGA BREWING COMPANY is a brewery based in Mitaka. On its official website, it states that its concept is to "make beers that surprise people who are drinking craft beer for the first time or just starting out, and turn them into beer lovers." A distinctive feature is that recipes are built starting from the question, "In what kind of situation would you want to drink this?" and each beer comes with a short-short story based on that policy.

"Red Post IPA (Can)" also comes with a short story, depicting how writing a letter becomes the catalyst for feelings that could not be said gradually reaching the other person. The fact that it is designed not only around taste, but also around the drinking occasion and mood, is very much in line with OGA's style.

An IPA that brings the drinking image into focus


Rather than a beer that relies on flashiness, this is one to watch for people looking for an IPA they would want to sip slowly at dusk. It is a bottle that brings together the atmosphere of Kodaira and the nostalgic feel of the round postbox through color, aroma, bitterness, and story.