Brewer's Note 〈Hive Mind〉

feat. Yusuke Sakabe

A few minutes after leaving the factory in Yasu and turning right at the intersection, you'll see a candy shop on your left that fills you with a sense of nostalgia. Just a few steps back from that, I found a vending machine that moved past nostalgia and into a feeling of, "Wait, is this even real?"

We’ve crafted a mead that features this very vending machine on a brown beer bottle.

The base honey is sourced from Myanmar. To that, we added apple juice from Yamashita Fruit Farm in Nagano Prefecture and rooibos tea. We then fermented it with a dash of spice.

To ensure a satisfying experience despite the low alcohol content, we employed a long, cold fermentation and maturation process. It offers a smooth mouthfeel with hints of lactic and a touch of acetic acid, balanced by the sweetness of honey. It is released after further maturation in the bottle.

This is the scene we shared with Yusuke, who worked on this from start to finish, and everyone who helped out on the day of production.

The time spent picking out treats at a candy shop—perhaps those playful moments are an essential part of life’s story.

The name of this mead is "Hive Mind."
A hive refers to a honeycomb or a colony of bees itself. When you observe honeybees, it becomes very clear how a shared consciousness exists within the swarm and how it is governed.

〈Who's Yusuke Sakabe〉

Born in Chiba, Japan. Aspiring to be a bartender, he traveled abroad alone to hone his craft. He gained extensive bartending experience working at numerous bars and restaurants, primarily in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. As the bar manager at Clooney in New Zealand, he contributed to the establishment earning 3 Hats. As the owner/mixologist of the Kyoto Higashiyama restaurant LURRA°, he earned a Michelin star. He is currently active as a freelance bartender.

Born in Chiba, Japan. While spending his time in USA, Australia and New Zealand, he began to hone his skills as a talented bartender. Before moving back to Japan after 10 years abroad, he took on the role of Bar Manager at "Clooney" and was awarded the coveted "3 Hats" recognition. Recently he was the owner/mixologist at a one Michelin star restaurant in Higashiyama, Kyoto, called LURRA°. Currently he is active as a freelance bartender on the world stage.

We met in Kyoto.
It has been years since we were introduced by creative designer Kazuki Fujimoto and spent time discussing mead and the intrigue of fermentation. We began the production last winter, and this is the first lot, matured for over nine months.

〈Tasting Note〉
Aroma featuring the distinct scent of rooibos tea with hints of apple and acetic acid. It has the clear appearance of apple juice and light carbonation. The gentle sweetness of honey and apple envelops a sharp, refreshing acidity. The long finish is derived from the spices and the fermentation process.

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Style: Specialty
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 6%
Carbonation: Yes
Volume: 500ml
Ingredients: Apple, Honey, Rooibos Tea, Spices
Sweetness (10-point scale): 4 (Sweet)
Serving Temperature: Well-chilled (4-8℃)
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〈Mead making〉
We fermented a mixture of strong tea—blended from cold-brewed and boiled rooibos—with apple juice, honey, and a hint of spice. The process was carried out slowly through long-term cold maturation.