Hitachino Nest Yuzu Lager Cans

Hitachino Nest Beer came out of a sake brewery, which honestly explains a lot once you drink it. The people behind it are Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki, a family producer that had already been making sake since the 1800s before deciding in the 1990s that Japan probably deserved better craft beer than bland industrial lager forever. Good decision really.

The beers have this really distinctive mix of Japanese precision and slightly eccentric creativity running through them. Belgian-style white ale with orange peel and coriander? Yep. Red rice ale inspired by sake brewing? Also yep. Espresso stout, yuzu lager, barrel-aged strong ales, all somehow tied together by the fact everything still tastes clean and deliberate instead of random for the sake of it.

Most people start with the White Ale, mainly because it turns up absolutely everywhere once you begin noticing the owl logo. Fair enough too, because it’s genuinely brilliant. Soft wheat beer with citrus, spice and a crisp finish that makes loads of Belgian witbiers suddenly feel a bit heavy afterwards. It’s refreshing without tasting thin and complex without becoming exhausting. Basically the sort of beer that disappears while you’re halfway through explaining it.

A lot of the brewery’s approach still comes from sake production as well. You can feel it in the balance and texture. Even stronger or stranger beers tend to stay polished and smooth rather than smashing you over the head with flavour for attention. There’s restraint there, which weirdly makes the beers more memorable.

Hitachino also arrived internationally long before Japanese craft beer became fashionable. These bottles were sitting in specialist beer fridges years before most people could name another Japanese brewery besides Asahi. They’ve earned a bit of cult status now, especially among people who like their beer experimental but still actually enjoyable to drink.

Also, genuinely elite owl branding. One of the few beer logos that everybody recognises instantly.