Shiga Kogen Beer has long been our favorite craft beer in Nagano. Every sip reflects an obsession with quality ingredients, bold flavor, and local craftsmanship.
Wanting to understand the story behind the beer we proudly recommend to our guests, we joined the annual hop harvestat Tamamura Honten, the brewery at the foot of Shiga Kogen.
Harvesting hops is surprisingly simple: pick the fragrant cones by hand. Inside each cone is a golden powder called lupulin—the tiny powerhouse responsible for the beer’s distinctive aroma, balanced bitterness, and freshness.
After working in the fields, enjoying a freshly poured Shiga Kogen Beer tasted even more rewarding. Experiencing the hop harvest gave us a deeper appreciation for brewer Eigo Sato’s philosophy of brewing “the beer we want to drink.”
Now, when we recommend Shiga Kogen Beer at Yama no Manimani, we’re sharing more than a great local craft beer—we’re sharing the people, the fields, and the passion behind every glass.
Editor’s Note: This visit took place in August 2018.
