A fine destination for the Premium Malt’s

When the officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan were planning my itinerary in Japan, I had insisted that a visit to at least one brewery should be on my agenda. Fujimoto Yuki, the Officer-in-Charge in Tokyo dealing with my visit, ensured it and included a trip to Suntory Musashino Brewery located in Fuchu, Tokyo. My sole idea was to introduce Japanese beers to the beer lovers of our country and let them know what they are missing.

Yes, Japan makes high quality beers too!

This is what happens when some categories of beverages from any country become so popular that other equally high-quality beverages do not capture mind spaces as often. Whenever we in India think of Japan, we start drooling over its cuisine, sake and whiskies, while the country’s beers sadly escape our attention. I think the simple reason is that Japanese beers have never been seriously promoted in India.

After visiting a brewery and a couple of wineries, it was my turn to enter into a wonderland that produces blue and gold cans of The Premium Malt’s. This is where one can learn the art of making beer and also get a chance to taste the world-famous beers carrying the brand of The Premium Malt’s.

Impressive set up

The Suntory Musashino Brewery in Fuchu has a very imposing building. I was told that this brewery was built in 1963. Suntory has three other big breweries located in Gunma, Kyoto and Kumamoto prefectures.

Fujimoto San, my interpreter and I (you need one as most of the people in Japan are not comfortable in English) took Keio Line from Shinjuku station and got off at Bubaigawara, where we had the option to catch a free shuttle bus to the factory. But we decided to take a cab and reach the factory before our scheduled time.

We were welcomed by Yusuke Sasaki, a young professional of the Public Relations Department of Suntory Holdings Limited. He took us to the visitor’s building where a visual introduction of the beer factory was going on for the visitors. We were taken to a hall to wait till our time came. The film took us on a tour of the brewery; taking us through the various stages of beer-making, from nurturing the hops to the customary sampling of the wares.

The 70-minute tour starts with an introductory video before the team took us around different production processes, and it was a very interesting experience to explore a beer vat.

14 million Cases

Known for its blue and gold cans of The Premium Malt’s, the Suntory Musashino Brewery is spread in about 110,000 sqm and produces about 177,000 KL (about 14 million cases) per annum. Its main brands are The Premium Malt’s, The Premium Malt’s (Kaoru) Ale, Tokyo Craft and Kinmugi. The factory also makes some non-alcoholic beers such as All Free and All-Free Lime Shot, and RTDs called -196 ̊C Strong Zero and Horoyoi.

As per the figures provided, about 280,000 cases of The Premium Malt’s beers were exported in 2021.

Savouring a Premium Brew

After the tour ended, I was given some of The Premium Malt’s beers to taste. I indulged in drinking those beers! For me, it was a sacrilege to leave such beers half-drunk. The Premium Malt’s is a traditional pilsner proudly made by gathering Suntory’s knowledge, passion, and brewing techniques. This is a beer par excellence that gives drinkers ‘a floral aroma and rich, quality taste and aftertaste’ thanks to the carefully selected pure ingredients and exceptional brewing methods.

As per the Suntory’s website, Suntory’s brew master, Ryuzo Yamamoto, imbued with the spirit of ‘Yatte Minahare’ to think big and bold, sought to produce one of the world’s best beers. Inspired by the famous pilsners of the Czech Republic and Germany, he spent nearly a decade perfecting a beer with a distinct floral aroma of hops and rich taste. That’s how the award-winning The Premium Malt’s were born.

Sensory Evaluations

The website also says that Suntory’s brewers visit the individual farms that prune the hops, undertaking sensory evaluations and selecting only the ones most suited to The Premium Malt’s. The carefully selected ingredients are then boiled twice: this is the double decoction method, an aroma-rich hopping method that brings out the rich malt flavour while balancing the delicate aroma of the hops.

And with water accounting for nearly 90 percent of beer, only high-quality ground water is used to craft The Premium Malt’s beer.

I know that Japan is always on the wish list of a large number of high-flying Indians. Do check out these blue and gold cans when there and drink fresh pilsners and lagers to your heart’s content.

And, you can get your favourite The Premium Malt’s at the shop located in the building. Lest you forget, you may need many of them for the home too!"