100 Years of Nittoh Kocha: CHA-GASUMI, a Hazy Ale Brewed with Black Tea

Mitsui Norin, the company behind the Japanese black tea brand Nittoh Kocha, has developed a black tea beer, CHA-GASUMI -茶霞-, together with the Yokohama craft brewery Yellow Monkey Brewing (YMB). It went on sale in limited quantities on 19 September 2026. Nittoh Kocha began in 1927 as Japan’s first domestic tea brand, Mitsui Kocha, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027. This beer is the first collaboration in the anniversary project NITTOH 100 PICNIC.

Royal milk tea, expressed as beer

The style is a Hazy Tea Ale with an ABV of 4.5%. The ingredients are malt, oats, black tea leaves, lactose and hops. Under Japanese liquor tax law it is classed as happoshu (a sparkling alcoholic drink); because it uses adjuncts, it falls into a separate category from “beer” in the legal sense. Kengo Saito, YMB’s head brewer, describes the aim as “royal milk tea in looks and in taste”. Oats and lactose give a smooth mouthfeel, while the finish is kept light and refreshing. Royal milk tea is a rich Japanese milk tea made by simmering the tea leaves directly in milk.

About 22 kg of tea leaves, and the meaning behind the name

During development, YMB and the Nittoh Kocha team tasted a range of tea leaves both straight and with milk. Since fermentation and low temperatures can dull the aroma, they decided on a combined total of about 22 kg of Assam from India and Uva from Sri Lanka. The leaves are infused directly in the wort. The name kasumi (霞, “haze”) describes the soft, cloudy colour of milk tea. It also pays respect to tea-making itself, since good tea is often grown in places where mist and haze gather.

A brewery exploring new styles with Japanese ingredients

YMB is a brewery working to create a new style it calls “Japanese Style Beer”. It has already brought Japanese ingredients and fermentation techniques into its beers, including rice, rice koji, sake yeast, kombu, katsuobushi and Japanese tea. Nittoh Kocha, for its part, wants to widen the ways and occasions in which black tea is enjoyed as it heads into its next 100 years. A century-old tea culture paired with craft beer makes for a project in which the two sides’ ideas fit together well.

The beer is on sale at YMB’s online shop and at its own venue, and at launch it was expected to be stocked progressively at beer bars and liquor shops across Japan. No overseas sales have been announced. For European readers, it is a bottle worth noting as a sign that Japanese craft beer is beginning to put tea centre stage. Tasting Assam and Uva, both available in Europe, and noting how their aroma changes when milk is added will make it easier to grasp the intent when you come across Japanese black tea beers or other tea-based beers.