Hyakuna Coffee Cherry Beer Workshop

There’s a brewery called Hyakuna Coffee Cherry Beer Factory in Nanjo City, Okinawa, and the beer they make there is incredibly unique.

No, even more interesting than that. The fruit of the coffee plant is called a "coffee cherry," and normally only the beans, or seeds, are used while the pulp gets discarded. Here, they brew beer using that pulp that would otherwise be thrown away.

It’s a world first. Representative Nobuaki Takagi launched the "Hyakuna Coffee Project," which began growing coffee on abandoned farmland in Hyakuna, Nanjo City, and it has even been certified as a venture from the University of the Ryukyus. Okinawa’s subtropical climate is the only one in Japan where coffee can be grown, which is what makes this challenge possible.

And the beer brewed by combining that coffee cherry pulp with Okinawa’s famous water is called "Coffee Cherry Beer100." It has an aroma reminiscent of lightly roasted coffee, and its defining traits are the fruity acidity and sweetness from the coffee cherry. It also has a smooth mouthfeel with living yeast still present.

Another key point is that they co-developed it with Shimaguni Brewery in Uruma City. They hope to increase the number of coffee farmers, and they’re aiming at reducing food waste while revitalizing Okinawa’s agriculture at the same time.

They also have a directly managed craft beer restaurant in Sakaemachi, Naha, called "Hanasaka Jiisan no Ie," so if you visit Okinawa, definitely stop by.