塩天下 (Entenka)

On the heels of Sunset Juice, a kettle sour with hibiscus and dried orange mikan peel, this beer is our next expression of a fruited sour. The inspiration for the choice of ingredients came from the Gose style of beer native to Germany and shioyaki (salted and grilled) fish, a staple in Japan that is often served with a wedge of sudachi to cut through the oil and salt of the fish. While we left the fish out of this brew, the dish inspired us to pair sudachi juice with mojio, a traditional seaweed salt, to bring this Japanese tradition into the German style.

The result is just what the doctor ordered for the dog days of summer here in Kyoto. The tart, almost pithy sudachi juice blends very well with the soft acidic character of our kettle soured beers, while the mojio plays a supporting role of mouthfeel and umami character. This beer is the perfect companion for any summer activity in Japan, from the BBQ to the beach to the bar, and we hope it helps you keep cool until the weather finally cools!

Naming: This beer’s name is not the easiest to explain in English, especially as it’s kind of a Japanese pun. The original Chinese Kanji characters 炎天下 ('Entenka') literally translates as “under the scorching sun”. This Summer, with its record temperatures and unabating heat, made us think of this phrase. However, during a hot day, an ideal drink might be something thirst quenching, a little sharp and with some salt added to make it that little more refreshing. As such, we replaced the first Chinese character, "En" (meaning 'scorch) with "En" (meaning 'salt') referring to the ingredient that really makes this citrus sour into the refreshing summer drink we hope you will find it to be.

So please, make the best of this kind of weather by sitting back and enjoying some of these citrusy saline satiating suds under the scorching sun.

Style: Sudachi Gose

Malt Bill:

Pilsner, Wheat

Hops:

Bittering: None

Flavour/Aroma: Motueka

Other:

Sudachi Juice, Mojio (Seaweed Salt)

Yeast: Belgian Ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 5

Gas Volumes: 2.6