Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (President: Hideki Horiguchi) is bringing "Kirin Ichiban Shibori Toretate Hop Draft Beer (Limited Edition)" to stores nationwide starting Tuesday, November 17, 2026. The beer uses raw hops harvested this year in Tono, Iwate Prefecture — one of Japan's largest hop-growing regions — that are rapidly frozen shortly after picking.
"Toretate Hop Draft Beer" is a limited release within the long-running "Ichiban Shibori" lineup, brewed using the "Ichiban Shibori" method, in which only the first, most flavorful wort released during mashing is used. Now in its 23rd year since launch, the beer has sold more than 400 million bottles in total (350ml-can equivalent, as of the end of 2025) and has built a loyal following. Each year's release captures the distinctive taste of that season's Tono-grown hops, giving drinkers a sense of seasonality and something special. Alongside "Kirin Ichiban Shibori Draft Beer," whose contents and packaging were both renewed starting with beer produced from August, this release aims to show drinkers even more of what beer has to offer.
A Partnership with Tono City Dating Back to 1963
Kirin and the city of Tono began contract hop farming together in 1963, and the two have continued working to make the most of hops, a valued local resource. As farmers age, their numbers have been declining year after year, and hop production has fallen to roughly one-seventh of what it was 30 years ago. Kirin has sold this beer since 2004, working with Tono in the hope that hops could help energize the local community.
Kirin has also taken part in the "Beer no Sato Koso" (Beer Village Vision) initiative since 2007, which welcomes newcomers from outside the region as part of building the community's future and addressing the shortage of successors to Japan's hop farms. Through continued efforts alongside local residents toward a sustainable hop-growing region, results are beginning to show, including a recent increase in new farmers taking up the trade.
Through the release of "Kirin Ichiban Shibori Toretate Hop Draft Beer," Kirin aims to share the flavor of beer made with Japanese hops and the dedication of the people who grow them, while contributing to the revitalization of the local area and the broader beer market.
Product Overview
Taste: A well-balanced, easy-drinking beer that captures the seasonal flavor of freshly harvested hops.
Packaging: The design reinforces the "delicious, high-quality" feel associated with "Ichiban Shibori," expressing the idea that this is the seasonal taste of freshly harvested hops, available only now.
Hops and Brewing: Made with raw hops harvested in Tono, Iwate Prefecture in 2026 and frozen within 24 hours of harvest, using the "Ichiban Shibori" method, which uses only the first, most flavorful wort.
Product Name: Kirin Ichiban Shibori Toretate Hop Draft Beer (Limited Edition)
Release Area: Nationwide (7-liter and 15-liter kegs are limited to the Tohoku region: Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures)
Release Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Container Sizes: 350ml can, 500ml can, medium bottle, large bottle, 7-liter keg, 15-liter keg
Price: Open pricing
Alcohol Content: 5%
Pure Alcohol Content: 350ml can: 14g; 500ml can: 20g
Breweries: Kirin Brewery Hokkaido Chitose Plant, Sendai Plant, Yokohama Plant, Okayama Plant, and Fukuoka Plant
