Japanese craft brewery hopes to strike gold with new pumpkin beer
YAMAGUCHI -- A local brewery has developed a new craft beer made primarily from the "Kurimasaru," a variety of kabocha Japanese pumpkin grown in the A
Yamaguchi, a city in western Japan, now boasts a new craft beer made from the Kurimasaru, a type of Japanese pumpkin. The beer, called Harvest Gold, is produced by Isokane Jyozo, a brewery that specializes in using local ingredients. While pumpkin beers are common in Europe, they are uncommon in Japan. In 2022, Isokane Jyozo launched its own brand of craft beer and began selling products made by a neighboring brewery in Shimane Prefecture.
In 2026, the company moved its production in-house and launched five unique products, including Harvest Gold. The brewers added Kurimasaru kabocha paste gradually while monitoring the fermentation process to balance the pumpkin's flavor with the beer's bitterness and aroma. Shigeaki Matsusaki, head of the Ajisu kabocha producers' association, expressed his delight at the new beer, noting the declining number of producers and the need to promote Kurimasaru pumpkins from the Ajisu area.
The beer is sold at the Michi no Eki Kirara Ajisu rest stop and through Isokane Jyozo's online shop for 800 yen, including tax.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
