Izanagi

At the beginning of time, when the world was nothing more than a formless, chaotic mass, Izanagi (the “man who invites”) and his sister-wife Izanami stepped onto the heavenly bridge. With a jewel-encrusted spear, Izanagi stirred the endless, primordial ocean. When he lifted the spear, salty water drops fell back into the sea, coagulated, and formed the very first islands of Japan. Izanagi is the undisputed creator god, the architect of the mainland.

But his story is not only characterized by light and creation. When Izanami died giving birth to the fire god, a broken Izanagi descended into the dark underworld (Yomi) to bring her back. There he broke the taboo: He lit a light and saw the decaying form of his wife. Cursed and hunted by the demons of the underworld, he managed to escape back to the world of the living at the last second.

To wash the dirt and death off himself, he bathed in a clear river. This ritual of extreme purification (Misogi) was so powerful that the highest gods of Japan sprang from the water drops falling from his body – including Amaterasu, the sun goddess.

The Beer

Our Japanese Rice Lager is the liquid embodiment of this purifying ritual. Like the clear water of the river, it washes away the dust of everyday life.

By adding fine flaked rice during mashing, the body of the beer becomes extremely pale, lean, and mercilessly dry – or as the connoisseur says: absolutely “crisp”. But purity doesn’t mean boredom for us. We have refined this lager with Sorachi Ace, a unique hop variety originally bred on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The hop breaks through the absolute clarity of the beer with a brilliant, unexpected lemon note and a subtle hint of herbs and fine dill. A masterful act of creation in the brewing kettle – pale, refreshing, and of flawless precision.

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With my spear, I broke through the chaos of the ocean. From the water of purification, I created new life. Every drop is the beginning of a new world.