Kuninocho Beer

Kuninocho Beer (國乃長ビール) is the craft beer brand of Kotobuki Shuzo Co., Ltd. (壽酒造株式会社), a Japanese sake brewery based in Tomita-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka. The parent brewery traces its sake-making origins to 1822 (Bunsei 5, late Edo period) in the historic brewing district of Settsu-Tonda, and its flagship sake brand is Kuninocho. The beer brand takes its name from that main sake brand, reflecting the brewery's intention to brew craft beer that only a sake brewery could produce. Kotobuki Shuzo began brewing beer in 1995, immediately after the relaxation of Japan's minimum production volume regulations that opened the way for small-scale craft brewing. According to the company, this made it the first craft beer brewer in Osaka. The brewery positions its beer as rooted in its identity as a sake producer, and its product line includes styles such as Dry Stout, Black, Brown Ale, Amber, Kölsch, Citrus White, and a sake-lees-influenced "Kijoshu" (貴醸) series. Beyond beer, Kotobuki Shuzo also produces sake, shochu (since 2006, described as Osaka's only locally distilled shochu made from sake lees), liqueurs, and food products such as sake lees and pickles. The company's beers have won numerous awards, including medals at the International Beer Cup, Asia Beer Cup, Japan Beer Festival, and Japan Great Beer Awards. Its sake has repeatedly won Gold Prizes at the National New Sake Appraisal (全国新酒鑑評会). The brewery remains privately held and family-run, with Kenji Hashimoto (橋本 憲治) serving as representative director and president. It operates from its historic brewery in Takatsuki, a short walk from Hankyu Tomita Station and JR Settsu-Tonda Station.

Kotobuki Shuzo's sake brewing began in 1822 (Bunsei 5), in the late Edo period, in Settsu-Tonda, a district historically renowned as a sake-producing region. According to the brewery's own history, sake-making in Settsu-Tonda had flourished during the Edo period but declined as the Nada and Fushimi regions rose to prominence, to the point that its survival was threatened. To preserve the brewing tradition of an area once called the "country of brewing," the predecessor of the current family, who had been in another business, switched trades and began brewing sake. The name "Kuninocho" dates from that time and expresses the determination to be the leader (cho) of the brewing country (kuni). The brewery continued making sake through subsequent eras, including wartime, without interruption. In 1995, immediately after the relaxation of minimum production volume regulations, Kotobuki Shuzo began brewing beer, which the company states was the first craft beer brewing in Osaka. The beer was named "Kuninocho Beer" after the brewery's main sake brand, with the conviction of making craft beer that only this brewery could produce while valuing its roots as a sake brewery. In 2006, the brewery began producing shochu, described as Osaka's only locally distilled shochu, made by a kasu-moromi (sake-lees mash) distillation method: fresh sake lees are mixed with water, returned to a mash state for re-fermentation, and then vacuum-distilled, yielding a shochu with a clean, elegant, and fragrant character. The company also produces liqueurs and food products such as sake lees and pickles. Over the decades, Kotobuki Shuzo's products have earned numerous awards. Its sake has repeatedly won Gold Prizes and other honors at the National New Sake Appraisal (全国新酒鑑評会), and its Kuninocho Junmai Ginjo won a Silver Prize at the U.S. National Sake Appraisal. Its beers have won medals at the International Beer Cup (including a Silver in 2005 for Dry Stout, Gold in 2008 for Shin-namu Black, and multiple medals in later years), the Asia Beer Cup (Gold for Kijoshu GOLD in 2011 and 2012), the Japan Beer Festival (Osaka Governor's Prize and other awards for Kijoshu GOLD in 2011 and 2012), and the Japan Great Beer Awards (2021 Gold for Kura Kölsch). The brewery remains privately held and family-run. As of the company profile, Kenji Hashimoto serves as Representative Director and President. The company describes its philosophy as contributing to a drinking culture that adds color to people's lives, and, in response to the long-term decline in domestic sake consumption, it has chosen to challenge itself with brewing many types of alcohol to suit diverse customer tastes — a strategy it believes ultimately protects and develops sake.

• 2021

  Kura Kölsch wins Gold at the Japan Great Beer Awards.

• 2012

  Kijoshu GOLD wins Gold again at the Asia Beer Cup.

• 2011

  Kijoshu GOLD wins Gold at the Asia Beer Cup and awards at the Japan Beer Festival.

• 2008

  Shin-namu Black wins Gold and Marihana Brown (now Kijoshu BROWN) wins Bronze at the International Beer Cup.

• 2006

  Production of shochu begins, described as Osaka's only locally distilled shochu.

• 2005

  Dry Stout wins Silver at the International Beer Cup.

• 1995

  Kotobuki Shuzo begins brewing beer, described as Osaka's first craft beer brewing.

• 1822

  Sake brewing begins in Settsu-Tonda; the name Kuninocho is adopted.

A craft beer brand rooted in a nearly 200-year-old sake brewery, emphasizing that only a sake brewery can make its beer.

• Kijoshu GOLD

• Kijoshu BROWN

• Kura Kölsch

• Kura Amber

• Citrus White

• Dry Stout

• Shin-namu Black

• Kuninocho Junmai Ginjo

• Kuninocho Daiginjo

• Kuninocho Junmai

1. 1壽酒造株式会社 | 國乃長kuninocho.jp
2. 2蔵の歴史 | 壽酒造株式会社 | 國乃長kuninocho.jp
3. 3清酒 | 壽酒造株式会社 | 國乃長kuninocho.jp
4. 4会社概要 | 壽酒造株式会社 | 國乃長kuninocho.jp
5. 5Kuninocho Beer - Wikidatawikidata.org