Abashiri Craft Beer

It all began with the commissioning of a research study into wheat beer microbrewing at the Bioproduction Technology Faculty of the Tokyo University of Agriculture. In 1994, the Ministry of Finance lowered the bar in regards to beer production and the university acquired a license to produce beer for testing purposes. This led to the establishment of the Abashiri Beer Company in 1998, and the opening of the Abashiri Beer Hall in 1999.


In the following years, a low-malt beer utilizing scallops, milk, and other secondary ingredients was produced. With the know-how gathered and to represent the winter in Abashiri, water containing ice floe was used, and in 2008, the low malt “Okhotsk Blue” drift ice draft was launched. This was an immediate hit and so other beer representing the seasons in Okhotsk were developed.


Abashiri Beer Company is one of the few in Japan to have adopted the three kettle method of brewing beer. By using the traditional German brewing method of decoction, part of the mash is boiled in a separate kettle. The boiled part is then added back to the mash to achieve the required temperature rise. This provides richness and flavor making a truly tasty beer. In addition, taking advantage of the three kettle method, a multitude of ingredients can be used, with the right choice of malt, hops, and yeast providing balance. By taking advantage of the characteristics provided by ingredients never thought of before, and using local ingredients while keeping the spirit of romance alive, Abashiri Beer creates what can only be described as true craft beer.

Following the success of the drift ice “Okhotsk Blue and the rose “Hanamasu Draft”, Abashiri Beer Company, through meticulous planning and what it calls “Fresh Rotation”, strives to create the most delicious beers to satisfy its customers.



These beers have been followed by:



Shiretoko Draft contains spirulina and represents the clear, green Shiretoko World Heritage site. Suppressing the aroma of hops, this is an unprecedented low-malt beer with a fresh green aroma.


“Kita no Honami”, a wheat grown in Abashiri, is used to produce a luxury white ale like no other. Orange peel and coriander seed provide a citrus scent that harmonizes with the mellow flavor of the wheat.


Abashiri is the Northernmost area of Japan for the growing of cherries. The severe cold blowing in from the Okhotsk Sea provides a sweet taste yet mellow aroma to the cherries used for Outou beer. By increasing the amount of malt and harmonizing this with Abashiri cherries, one can enjoy and exquisite, fruity beer.




The award winning Abashiri Premium beer is well-balanced, with a bitter-sweet fragrance. Locally grown malt and hops are roasted in-house to provide more flavor.

Abashiri Prison Stout

Abashiri Prison, where no man escapes! Darkness pervades and is expressed in the unusual blackness of this fine stout. The taste will bind you, just as prisoners' chains. Five types of malt are carefully selected and with special fermentation, the beer is aged for two months, providing a rich flavor and fragrance.