Drink of the Week: Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

In the ever-innovative realm of craft beer, staying on top of trends, styles, and new releases is practically a full-time job (just ask our contributing editor Josh Bernstein). It can make the stalwarts of the industry fade from view like distant shores on a sea of new brews. I was reminded of this recently as we tasted through a lineup of rice beers, most of which were newer releases from smaller craft breweries. But among the newbies was an elder of the craft beer scene—the Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale, an oldie but goodie if ever there was one.

First brewed in 1996 (and exported to the States just a couple years later), the Hitachino Nest beers are brewed at the Kiuchi Brewery in the Ibaraki prefecture of eastern Japan, where Kiuchi has been brewing sake since 1823. Their initial foray into beer fused Japanese ingredients with European inspiration and garnered a slew of international awards. And the Red Rice Ale still more or less stands in a category of its own.

Made with 25 percent red rice, as well as pilsner malt and flaked barley, the Hitachino Red Rice Ale drinks almost like a Belgian beer, clocking in at 7 percent ABV and with a malty sweetness complemented by the nutty flavors of the rice. While most rice beers on the market (and in our own Taste Test lineup) tend to be extra light and crisp lagers, the Hitachino is a delicious outlier and a nostalgic craft brew well worth another pour. $5.99, totalwine.com