The first organic craft beer in Japan! - MAVI
We would like to introduce you to " organic craft beer that can be enjoyed like wine, " carefully selected by the owner of a specialty organic wine store.
Located on the border between France and Germany, the Alsace region of France has a strong German influence due to its history. It is famous for producing high-quality white wine, but beer is also popular here.
The Blessing family's beer that Mavi encountered is made using hops and malt from Alsace , and the brewing water is groundwater from the local Vosges Mountains.After the secondary fermentation in the bottle , the beer is finished unfiltered and unsterilized .
Furthermore, the beer is made using only four ingredients - water, hops, malt, and yeast - and produces a variety of flavors through roasting and fermentation without the use of any secondary ingredients.
Please try Mavi's organic craft beer, which changes flavor depending on the temperature and can be enjoyed with meals.
Organic craft beer from precious small breweries
Craft beer is becoming more and more popular in Japan every year. Unlike mass-produced products from major manufacturers, craft beer is characterized by the attention to detail and unique flavors that can only be achieved by hand.
Small breweries that produce craft beer are also called microbreweries , and in the United States, they are defined as breweries with an annual production capacity of approximately 1.8 million liters or less.
Mavi introduces the Blessing family of Alsace, an ultra-small brewery with an annual production of about 40,000 liters , well below the standard, and most of the beer they produce is consumed domestically.
Of course, this beer is only available at Mavi in Japan, making it the first time it has arrived in the country.
Blessings Organic Craft Beer
・Production area : Alsace, France
・Brewery name : Brasserie Blessing
(Brasserie atrisanale BLESSING)
・Organic history : Since 2014 (Certification: ECOCERT)
This brewery is run by a father and son in a small village at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. They started out by experimenting in their kitchen at home. They then converted a garage and used dairy equipment to create a truly "handmade" brewery.
Although the facilities have a handmade feel to them, the Blessings are a biotechnology researcher and an architect , and they were able to utilize their respective knowledge to pursue uncompromising flavor and brewing facilities .
As a result, in 2016, two years after starting winemaking in earnest , the winery won a gold and silver medal at the Paris Agricultural Competition .
They continued to win medals in 2017 and 2018, winning the highest award, the Prix d'Excellence, over the course of three years, and have risen to the top level of craft beer producers in France.
They are currently renovating their facilities, and a brewery with a tasting room is scheduled to be completed in 2021. They are aiming to eventually produce 90,000 liters per year (which will still be a very rare amount!).
Five things the Blessing family is particular about
Local Alsatian malt and hops
The Blessing family's beer is made using only four ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast . The hops and malt are organic and from Alsace , and the water used in brewing is from the local Vosges mountain range.
Uses groundwater from the Vosges mountains
The Blessings use groundwater from the local Vosges mountains for their beer . Thanks to the forested area and clay soil, the groundwater is soft . This water quality is more suitable for soft-tasting Altbier (top-fermented) and Weizenbier than for Pilsner, which is brewed with hard water from Northern Germany and the Czech Republic.
Secondary fermentation in the bottle, the same as champagne production
This method is often used in craft breweries in Belgium and elsewhere, but for aging and secondary fermentation, like champagne, bubbles are naturally created by secondary fermentation in the bottle . These bubbles are very delicate and bring out the aroma well. This is a time-consuming and labor-intensive manufacturing method, but we are particular about how we do it.
Unfiltered and unsterilized
It takes one week to prepare. After that, it is left to rest for about two weeks (as it is not filtered, foreign matter is allowed to settle), and then it is aged and fermented for about two weeks. Organic craft beer that is finished without filtration still has live yeast remaining. This yeast consumes minute amounts of oxygen and prevents oxidation, so it lasts a long time. The flavor makes the most of the natural goodness of the ingredients, and you can enjoy a beer that reflects the cultivation environment and the work of the brewer.
A diverse lineup created without using secondary ingredients
The Blessings use only four ingredients: hops, barley, water, and yeast, and do not use any secondary ingredients such as herbs or spices. They produce many different types of beer with different flavors, using only the roasting and fermentation of malt. The range of flavors is very wide, from refreshing to full-bodied, and can be used in a variety of situations.
Blessings Organic Craft Beer List
Enjoy a variety of flavors! Organic craft beer
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A gorgeous and oily balance
1. Blonde
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A slightly strong drink with rich flavor and bitterness
2. Amber
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A light, bitter and fruity drink
3. White
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A dry and powerful bottle with a floral and fruity aroma.
4.IPA
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A rich, dark coffee with a strong roasted aroma.
5. Stout
1. Blessing Blonde Beer
・Product number : 72001
・Foods that go well with it : Onion tartare, beer-based Bäckerhof, cheeses such as Camembert, Brie, and Neufchatel, apple tart, etc.
A brilliant blonde color with fine, persistent bubbles. The aroma is reminiscent of various fruits and flowers, and the taste is well-balanced, combining strength and delicacy. The gentle bitterness and slightly oily nuances are impressive.
Paris International Agriculture Fair 2016
Gold Medal Awarded!
2. Blessing Amber Beer
・Product number : 72002
・Food that goes well with it: Beef jerky (even smoked), game marinated in beer, farm-made Munster cheese, goat cheese, tarte tatin, etc.
Sparkling amber color. The bubbles are slightly gold and thick and long-lasting. Aroma of fruit compote and chocolate. The taste is rich, with delicate caramelized fruit and a lingering vanilla finish, with a slight bitterness in the aftertaste.
Paris International Agriculture Fair 2016
Silver Medal Winner!
3. Blessing White Beer
・Product number : 72003
・Foods that go well with it : Caesar salad, steamed mussels in wine (recommended recipes that add butter), salmon meunière, white fish coconut curry, apple pie, etc.
White foam with volume and persistence. The aroma is banana, grapefruit, and grain. Smooth and lively foam in the mouth. Dry with delicate grain flavor and clove, light bitterness and floral aroma on the aftertaste.
Paris International Agriculture Fair 2017
Bronze medal winner!
4. Blessing IPA (India Pale Ale)
・Product number : 72004
・Foods that go well with it : Chicken liver salad, sauteed chicken thighs with cumin, fried chicken, Comte cheese, creme brulée, etc.
A brilliant copper color. Rich, persistent bubbles. The aroma of apricot, jasmine, and orange blossoms, created by using hops grown in Alsace, is impressive. A full-bodied flavor with a strong malt flavor and a soft bitterness. The aftertaste is long, but the back palate is dry and refreshing.
Paris International Agriculture Fair 2018
Silver Medal Winner!
5. Blessing Stout Beer
・Product number : 72005
・Pairs with : Chocolate cake, as an after-dinner drink instead of coffee
A smooth, rich foam with a color reminiscent of a black dress. Aromas of coffee, licorice, and vanilla. A dry taste with a slight iodine flavor that expresses a delicate umami. A beer with a great balance of hop bitterness and roasted aroma.
Paris International Agriculture Fair 2019
Silver Medal Winner!
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Recommended way to drink
The recommended temperature is 8℃ to 10℃.
Blessing also makes beer with an awareness of how it will pair with food . For that reason, rather than chilling it, he aims to make it delicious even at the same serving temperature as white wine (around 10℃ to 14℃) .
If you chill it too much, it will have a refreshing taste, but you won't be able to taste the complex flavors. Also, cold beer creates a big temperature difference with food, so you won't be able to enjoy the full-bodied pairing that you get with wine.
"Your beer should not just be consumed, but savoured."
This is Blessing's love for brewing beer.
This is an organic craft beer that we would recommend to anyone who prefers wine to beer.
As this beer is unfiltered and bottled with live yeast, there is a lot of sediment remaining. Drinking this beer is not harmful to the human body. If you are concerned, please leave the bottle upright for a while to allow the sediment to settle before enjoying.
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