At the end of last year, a wrap up of the most memorable beverages of 2024 had Upslope Brewing Company's Japanese Style Rice Lager was at the top of the list. Described as fresh, crisp, dry, and crushable at 4.9%, I promised to order any rice lager I see on a menu. And I have.
Last month on a trip to the west coast, a beer and sake-fueled sushi fest at Studio City's excellent Yume included another rice lager: Echigo Koshihikari Beer. This is the real deal - pure, honest flavors that shine without being boastful or weird, as many beers do. A beer of extraordinary quality, it has haunted me since that meal - and was good enough to smuggle some home in my dirty laundry. It can be hard to find, but it is available at some Total Wines.
While on the hunt for Echigo in my local market, I came across Coronado Brewing Company's Nado Premium Lager. Made from jasmine rice, this is also the epitome of the perfect summer beer. Very dry and clean, like the other beers above, it offers incredible refreshment, is lightweight, super dry, and crisp.
And it turns out that the local market where I found the Nado had a few other rice lagers on the shelf, suggesting that better beer sellers in your market will, too. (Note: Hitachino Nest's Red Rice Ale, while more widely-available, is most definitely not a rice lager.)
Given these hits, this is a category of beers I'd recommend some experimentation with.
