A German-Style Sour Ale Brewed with Fresh Mount Fuji Hops

From field to brewery on the same morning

Fujizakura Kogen Beer is the beer brand of a brewery in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi lies to the west of Tokyo, and the town sits at the northern foot of Mount Fuji. The “Fuji-san Hops” used here are a local brand of hops grown in five fields around the foot of the mountain, including this town, neighbouring Fujiyoshida and the village of Oshino. For the new beer, “Hopfen-Sauer Fresh Hop 2026”, the brewery chose Cascade, a variety with a good balance of aroma and bitterness. Hops can be harvested for only about a week to ten days in July and August, and once picked they spoil easily. With the help of the local growers’ association, the staff therefore turned out in force from the morning to pick the hops, and began brewing the moment they reached the brewery.

A German sour ale inspired by Gose

Ordinary brewing uses hops that have been dried, ground and compressed into small “pellets”. Using fresh hops preserves the volatile aromas that this processing tends to lose. The brewery took as its model Gose, a sour German beer made with salt and coriander. It added no spices, however, and instead made the hop aroma the star of a German-style sour ale. From the glass rise tropical notes from the yeast, along with the fresh-hop aromas of cut grass, citrus and herbal tea. On the palate, a gentle acidity spreads. The beer is a modest 4.5% ABV with a bitterness of just 11 IBU, and a pale colour. Fresh-hop beers are often brewed as IPAs, so choosing a German style is what gives this beer its character. The brewery likens it to Japan’s “shincha”, tea made from the first leaves picked each year.

German brewing skills and Mount Fuji water

Fujizakura Kogen Beer brews using techniques learned at the Doemens brewing school, a state-recognised institution in Germany. The water is groundwater from Mount Fuji, and many of the ingredients are imported from Germany. As a rule the beer is not filtered, and is bottled with live yeast still in it. The regular line-up consists of four beers: a Pilsner, a Weizen, a Rauch made with smoked malt, and a dark Weizen. This limited edition was brewed in just 960 330 ml bottles and sold at the shop attached to the brewery and through mail order within Japan.

No plans to sell the beer in Europe have been announced. Even so, what stands out is that a Japanese brewery that studied German beer culture has made a distinctive beer from local hops. Autumn is also the season when fresh-hop (wet-hop) beers appear in Europe, so when you enjoy a pint from a nearby brewery, it could be interesting to compare it with this Japanese effort. The brewery recommends pairing it with dishes such as cheese and charcuterie, fried octopus, prawns in chilli sauce and fresh spring rolls. Dishes with some saltiness or a touch of spice are said to bring out the acidity and the green aroma.