Limited Release: New Day (Chouken Tenjitsu)

With more and more of Japan re-opening after the initial effects of Covid 19, we are starting to notice one thing - people are starting to go out and drink!

For many months, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the protocols taken by the Japanese government to prevent the spread of the disease have meant that many people have shifted from enjoying beer out at bars to enjoying them while staying home. It has been an interesting transition for us in trying to meet the needs of customers as their consumption habits changed; however, all the while we were concerned about whether the bars and restaurants that had supported our keg sales up until this point would be able to weather the storm.

While the situation is still far from ideal, we are happy to see that the majority of these locations are not only reopening, but also having more and more customers. This beer was designed to be released at this critical juncture with two goals in mind.

First, as many breweries shifted to selling more and more beers in bottled format their lineup seemed to gravitate towards hoppier and hoppier selections. We were no different, with our version of the All Together collaboration followed by One-Two Punch (Tsurube-uchi), a Double IPA, and Yui, a Belgian/American Hybrid IPA. As people transition back to enjoying visiting bars and spending several hours eating and drinking there, we thought a nice easy drinking beer would be what a lot of people would want to break up the hop monotony.

Second, we hoped that this release would be a way to show support for the bars as they reopened. After so many months of little to no revenue, many establishments are not in a position where they have a lot of spare cash on hand. Hoppy beers are great for attracting customers, but they are very expensive to brew, and therefore require a greater outlay of cash to procure. It is our hope that this beer provides a bit of balance across the selection of beers available to bars as they reopen, providing a high degree of drinkability as well as affordability.

The beer itself is quite simple: an American Blonde Ale featuring classic Willamette hops. The addition of Maris Otter and Vienna malt leave a hint of sweetness and body that keep the beer from feeling thin. The hops have a great earthy yet citrusy undernote that plays well with the classic American ale fermentation character.

The result is a beer that is just a great, uncomplicated, easy drinking beer. Perfect for getting back into the swing of enjoying craft beer back out at the establishments that have allowed the industry to grow to the point that it has. Kanpai to all the bar and restaurants reopening after such a shaky few months!

Available for purchase here.