Hop Kotan Brewing is a craft beer brewery located in Kamifurano, in Hokkaido, Japan. The brewery opened in August 2018, with esteemed brewer Uetake-san taking on the reigns of head brewer. Kamifurano is perhaps better known for the amount of snow it gets during the winter season, but it is also the largest hop growing area in Japan. One of the reason why Hop Kotan Brewing was set up in the area is for a possible 100% reliance on locally grown hops – something that in the past has been unheard of in Japan due to the extreme variety in the climate.
Hop Kotan Brewing : Regular Lineup
The following are some of the regular beers from Hop Kotan Brewing that we’ve had:
- Hop Kotan Haskap – a 7% fruited farmhouse ale that uses haskap berries in the brewing process.
- Hop Kotan Nonno – a 5% American pale ale that takes its name from the Ainu word for “flower”.
Hop Kotan Brewing : Limited & Seasonal Lineup
The following are some of the limited & seasonal beers we’ve had from Hop Kotan Brewing:
- Hop Kotan Double IPA – an 8% double IPA that was first released in October 2020.
- Hop Kotan Porter – a 4.8% brown porter first released in August 2018.
- Hop Kotan Love Parade – a 6.5% American IPA brewed with 5 different hops though which ones are used is unknown at the time of writing.
- Hop Kotan Kotan’s Secret Double IPL – an 8.3% double India pale lager brewed with Vic’s Secret hops.
- Hop Kotan Yoake no Beet – a 9% imperial stout that uses locally grown sugar beets from the Kamifurano area.
Hop Kotan Brewing Details
Address: 33 Go Nishi 8 Senkita, Kamifurano, Sorachi District, Hokkaido 071-0508
Phone: 0167-45-0012
Homepage (in Japanese): http://hopkotan.com/
Brewery Store: https://hopkotan.theshop.jp/
Social Media: Facebook
