Tateyama Ale

Tateyama Ale is actually Toyama Prefecture's first local beer. They got a low-malt beer license in 1997 and were the first in the prefecture to start brewing beer.

What's more, it's brewed by Hokuriku Happoko Kogyo, a sake maker founded in 1948. A company that originally made shochu and synthetic sake decided to try its hand at beer.

Because they're fermentation pros. What's interesting is that they use yeast adapted from sake yeast, "Kanazawa No. 14." They're bringing sake-brewing know-how into beer.

Right? And the brewing water comes from underground water originating from Mount Tsurugi. They use German Hallertau Aroma hops, and finish it with bottle conditioning. Since it's unfiltered, the yeast is still alive in the beer.

There are two staples. "Pale Lager" is fruity and easy to drink, while "Bitter" has a solid roasted-malt bitterness. It may not be flashy, but it's an honest beer packed with the skill of true fermentation craftsmen.

That's the perfect plan. I hope people enjoy the story along with the taste: the first local beer brewed by a shochu maker using water from Mount Tsurugi and sake yeast.