Beer + Milk = Bilk

Bilk, the new beer produced by the Nakahara liquor shop in Japan, has media buzzing and cows mooing.

The shop’s owner, Chitoshi Nakahara, came up with the idea for beer made with milk after hearing about a milk surplus. The beer is about 30% milk, but reportedly looks and tastes like ordinary beer after fermentation. Some reports say the beer has a slightly milky odor and a fruity taste.

Nakahara worked with brewers near his hometown of Nakashibetsu, on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, to develop the brew and began selling it on Feb. 1. He stocked six local shops and offered the product by mail order, but he’s already sold out due to media attention. Too bad Imbibe contributor Brian Libby visited Japan for a story in our upcoming March/April issue months before the beer hit stores, or we’d have tasting notes.

Reuters has some more details here.