Iwate Kura Beer by Sekinoichi Shuzo

Iwate Kura Beer is a unique brewery in Japan, perhaps the world, as it is a cooperative brewery rather than a company. Launched in 1996, Iwate Kura Beer has the backing of five different companies. Like other countryside breweries, Iwate Kura Beer also has its history in sake manufacturing from the parent company Sekinoichi Shuzo. All of Iwate Kura Beer’s are fermented at room temperature and also do not undergo pasteurisation or filtration at any time during the brewing process.

Iwate Kura Beer’s Main Lineup

• Iwate Kura Black Beer – An oyster stout beer brewed using the shells from locally sourced oysters.
• Iwate Kura Indian Pale Ale – Brewed from an old English recipe that is made up of four different hops.
• Iwate Kura Kin Kura Pilsner – a 5% pilsner that is sold in cans across Japan.
• Iwate Kura Pale Ale – An English style pale ale that won silver in the IBC in 2007.
• Iwate Kura Passion Ale – Brewed using fresh passion fruits in the mash.
• Iwate Kura Red Ale – An amber ale that is stepped with caramel tones.
• Iwate Kura Stout – A stout brewed using an original recipe from Iwate Kura. Sometimes sold as Kuro Kura.
• Iwate Kura Weizen – Based on a South-German recipe, this was the first Japanese craft beer to win a gold medal at the Monde Selection Awards in 1998.

Iwate Kura Beer’s Seasonal Lineup

• Iwate Kura Arigatou Pale Ale – a 4% American pale ale and was first released in February 2016 as part of their limited edition range.
• Iwate Kura Bakusui Lager – An 8.5% Imperial lager brewed as a collaboration between five Tohoku breweries.
• Iwate Kura Bravo! Masaji R-IPA – Sekinoichi Shuzo’s contribution to the annual Masaji Beer Project.
• Iwate Kura Chocolate Stout – Brewed for Valentine’s day, this beer is brewed from roasted malt with cocoa added during the mash.
• Iwate Kura Christmas 300 Limited Edition! – This is their winter ale that comes in 1L bottles and only 300 are on sale.
• Iwate Kura Fukukou Ale – a 5% sour ale with collected from the Ishikura cherry tree, a natural treasure of 360 years old.
• Iwate Kura Japanese Herb Ale Sansho – Brewed using traditional Japanese herbs in spring, this is a fruit beer that packs punch.
• Iwate Kura Koharu Beer – Another spring beer, this brewed from 100% locally sourced malt.
• Iwate Kura Nagisa – a 5% wild ale where brewers harvested yeast from the Hamayuri lily flower, better known as Liliaceae.
• Iwate Kura Organic Beer – a 5% hefeweizen with yeast naturally collected from dried persimmon.
• Iwate Kura Pink Typhoon – a 6% IPA brewed using dried cherry blossoms from the Iwate region.
• Iwate Kura Pumpkin Ale – a 5% spiced beer that originally made using imported American pumpkins; however, since 2016, Iwate Kura have been using kabocha, which is often translated into Japanese pumpkin.
• Iwate Kura Summer Blond – A blonder lager that is brewed for the summer months.
• Iwate Kura Sweet Caramel Ale – Brewed for White Day, this beer is for men trying to give the reciprocal gift to a special craft beer drinking partner.
• Iwate Kura Weizen Bock – Brewed with 1.5 times the regular amount of malt for those cold winter months, this beer use Munich malt to ensure its German heritage.
• Iwate Kura Yoitsugi – an 8% India Pale Ale that is part of their collaboration series, this time with Rebirth Project.

Iwate Kura Beer Draft Details

• Iwate Kura Takata no Yume – s a 5% wheat / fruit beer with the name being a portmanteau, coming from two of its adjuncts yuzu, also known as Japanese citron, and ume, being Japanese plums.

Iwate Kura Beer Details

Parent Company: Sekinoichi Shuzo

Address: 〒021-0885 Iwate-ken, Ichinoseki Shi, Tamuracho 5-42

Phone: 0191-21-1144

Website (in Japanese): Iwate Kura Beer at Sekinoichi Shuzo.

Online store: http://www.sekinoichi.com/