Kirin Brewery Company
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan · Est. 1885
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Ichiban Shibori uses only the first press of the wort and throws away the rest, which is an expensive way to make a mass-market lager. It is also why it tastes the way it does.
The Beer Library
Beers
Kirin Ichiban Shibori
Year-RoundJapanese Lager
Ichiban shibori means first press — only the wort that runs off before the grain bed is sparged is used, and the rest is discarded. It is a deliberately wasteful way to make a mass-market lager, and it is the entire point.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →KIRIN ICHIBAN
Year-RoundPale lager
Japan Pass 1. Released 1990. Official investor guide identifies 1990 launch.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →SPRING VALLEY Hojun 496
NATIONALCraft ale
Japan Pass 1. Released 2021. Nationwide Spring Valley release in 2021.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Kirin Zero Ichi
NON-ALCOHOLNon-alcoholic beer-taste beverage
Japan Pass 1. Released 2017. Official Kirin history records its 2017 introduction.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Kirin GREEN'S FREE
NON-ALCOHOLNon-alcoholic beer-taste beverage
Japan Pass 1. Released 2020. Official Kirin source identifies it as 0.00% non-alcohol.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →KIRIN FREE
RETIRED / PREDECESSOR PRODUCTNon-alcoholic beer
Japan Pass 1. Released 2009. Official Kirin source calls it the world's first 0.00% non-alcoholic beer.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Kirin Brewery Company is controlled by Public company.
Kirin Report 2025 · Kirin Holdings · 2025
PrimaryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Kirin Brewery Company
- Who owns Kirin Brewery Company?
- Kirin Brewery Company is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion). Kirin Brewery Company is based in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Is Kirin Brewery Company still independent?
- No. Kirin Brewery Company is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion) and is no longer independent.
- When was Kirin Brewery Company founded?
- Kirin Brewery Company was founded in 1885 in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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