Fresh Ichiban Shibori Beer and a Factory Tour for Only 500 Yen!?!

Kirin exclusively uses wort from the first extraction to make its signature Ichiban Shibori beer. There’s nothing like popping open a can and tasting the luxurious flavors of Ichiban Shibori at the end of a long day. Of course that is delicious, but I wanted to taste the beer as fresh as possible, so I visited the Kirin Factory in Kobe. 


Take a Bus Straight from Sanda Station to the Kirin Beer Kobe Factory!

The best way to experience Kirin beer is by tasting it! Book a “KIRIN ICHIBAN Shibori Taste Experience Tour” on the Kirin website and head over to the Kirin Beer Factory in Kobe. 
From Osaka, it’s easy to get here if you use the JR. Take a Rapid on the Takarazuka line from Osaka Station headed for Sasayamaguchi and you’ll arrive at Sanda Station in about 40 minutes. It’s easy!
Normally you can get a free ride on the “Lager Bus” a novelty shuttle bus with free service to the factory. Unfortunately during my visit the Lager Bus was under maintenance so my ride was not as flashy.

The bus stop is right in front of the station so it was very easy to find. From there it was about a 20 minute ride to the Kobe Factory.

Discovering the Joy of Beer Through Your Five Senses


After stopping at the reception, I was ready for the tour to start!

I was so excited to see what was behind that door. First we were treated to a video message from the Master Brewer, the person with the highest level of responsibility in the factory.

Next, we moved into the following room, where you actually feel like you’ve stepped into a barley field created by a very immersive atmosphere. Here, you can experience the key ingredients that go into beer—barley and hops—up close. In fact, beer is made from just three simple ingredients: barley malt, hops, and water.

First, we were invited to taste a small bit of malt. At first glance it looked a bit like brown rice, but when I tasted it, it was wonderfully fragrant and pleasantly crunchy. There’s a gentle sweetness to it too—honestly, you could easily snack on these like nuts!

Next, we tried smelling hops piled in a basket. The aroma is fresh and almost herbal. It’s this very ingredient that gives beer its distinctive bitterness, aroma, and even helps create that perfect foamy head.

Plus there’s a tasting experience of wort—the liquid squeezed from malt!
This is a chance to compare the first squeeze (Ichiban-shibori) and the second squeeze (which has additional malt components that dissolved after the first squeeze). Neither contains any alcohol.

You’ll note the first squeeze has a deeper color and a richer flavor (as Kirin Beer uses only this first malt wort for their Ichiban-shibori). However, the second squeeze is also delicious and features a distinct sweetness.

The Best Time is Taste-testing Time

Since this is a factory tour, you also get to see the production process!

You’ll learn about how fermentation works and how the beer is stored, and you can even watch the packaging process through glass. Amazingly, the facility can fill up to 2,000 350ml cans per minute.

After finishing the tour, it’s finally time for the part everyone’s been waiting for—the tasting!

It my not be exaggerating to say this is what we all came for: getting to enjoy the glass of Ichiban Shibori we’d been looking forward to all along.

Each glass is carefully poured from the server, just like this.

You also get a special snack to go with your beer! These kaki no tane (Japanese rice crackers) are specially made with Kirin Beer yeast and are exclusive to the Kirin factory! The golden glow of Ichiban Shibori looks even more delicious than usual!

Just as I expected, Ichiban Shibori delivered on that consistent, delicious flavor.

We also got the chance to taste Ichiban Shibori , so I decided to do a taste comparison.

This premium version is a gift-exclusive product and is made with only the finest first-class hops from the Tohoku region! It had a deeper, more complex flavor compared to regular Ichiban Shibori, with a richer, fuller taste that really stood out.

You can try up to three cups during your visit. And there was one more thing I was really looking forward to at this factory, so let me show you the next spot!

Paired Perfectly with Beer at Beer Restaurant on the Hill

This is the “Beer Restaurant on the Hill,” located inside the factory.
Here, you can enjoy dishes made with local ingredients and fresh draft beer straight from the tap.

You choose a main dish, and then you can choose whatever else you like from the buffet, with a selection of salad, breads, and rice. And beer is available for an additional charge. Plus there are also plenty of other alcoholic beverages to choose from too!

For my main dish, I chose the “Beef Stewed in Ichiban Shibori Beer.”
And there are other options like fish, chicken, and roast beef too. The selections are what you would expect from a multi-course meal.

The buffet featured fresh, locally sourced vegetables. And there were a few that I wasn’t used to eating. So it was a fun opportunity to try something new.

In addition to the tour, there are other attractions to enjoy at the factory, like photo spots, a history exhibit, and a souvenir shop.

The tour costs 500 yen and requires a prior reservation, but if you’re a beer lover, be sure to book through the website and experience the true taste of Ichiban Shibori!

(For those who don’t drink alcohol, there are also tastings of non-alcoholic beer and refreshing beverages available.)