Robinsons Brewery and Iron Maiden's sake-infused pilsner, Sun and Steel, has been in the works for more than two-and-a-half years and it has now been released as the sixth addition to Robinsons’ Trooper range. The beer product takes the form of a double fermented pilsner that's been infused with authentic sake yeast sourced from the Okunomatsu Saké Brewery in Fukushima, Japan. Notably, the special yeast was used in the brew with special permission from the Japanese government.
The beer took some time to develop thanks to its complexity, as sake yeast has specific nutritional requirements. According to the brewery, "We extracted the unique and delicate floral flavors from the sake and combined this with the malt and hops in the beer which lead us to the final Sun and Steel product."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sake-infused Beer
- Opportunities to develop new sake-infused beer products using authentic yeast strains from other breweries
- Collaborative Product Development
- New opportunities for cross-industry collaborative product development between craft breweries and distillers
- Special Yeast Strains in Brewing
- Excitement over beer products utilizing special yeast strains as a way of enhancing flavors and standing apart in the marketplace
Where This Applies
- Craft Beer
- Craft beer breweries can explore the potential of collaborating with other beverage industries such as distillers to create unique new products
- Sake Production
- Sake breweries can potentially capitalize on their unique yeast strains by selling them to craft beer producers or partnering with them for collaborative product innovation
- Food and Beverage Distribution
- Distributors can market and distribute these unique craft beer products to both beer and sake enthusiasts
