Kirin Ichiban Japanese Prime Beer

Kirin Ichiban Japanese Prime Beer is one of the top three selling beers in Japan. It is slightly, and only slightly, more malty than the other two top sellers, and definatley appeals to drinkers that want a premium lager experience with a bit more taste.

The making the beer uses the Ichiban Shibori process, which is to mash the Barley Malt, Hops, Rice and Corn together with natural mineral water to make a pulp, called ‘Wort’. This Wort is then allowed to drain under gravity to extract all the juice from it, just once (the ‘premium press’), leaving a mash behind. The mash is then used as a cattle food. The liquid Wort has yeast added to it and allowed to ferment, before being filtered and bottled.

The process of draining the Wort only once extracts the best flavours and sweetness from it. Many others press the pulp multiple times, degrading the overall quality of the Wort extracted.

The Kirin is a Chinese mythological creature, described as having the body of a Deer, the tail of an Ox and the hooves of a Horse, with a single horn on it’s head and a multicoloured skin.
According to the legend, the Kirin refuses to step on living plants and will not eat living things, and it is considered a bringer of important events.