〈Brewer's Note〉Jog week

Summer heat fatigue.
Another sweltering summer is upon us. Just hearing the news report it, without even asking to hear about it—simply having the news come my way is enough to make me feel worn out by the heat.

"You'll get worn out if you don't eat,"

there’s no one around to meddle like that, so I have to take care of my own health myself. In that case, time for a drink. Let's have a drink and lift our spirits. We’ve made a gentle mead for everyone feeling that way.

Jog week

I’ve reached an age where I’m inevitably busy, and the weeks just fly by. I don’t think I’ll ever become a marathon runner, but this sense of speed would surprise even Q-chan. It’s okay to have a week now and then where you just want to take it slow. This latest mead, "Jog week," is here to nudge you and tell you just that. It’s a mead themed around a week of jogging.

The Bankan citrus we squeezed together during Golden Week mingled with a touch of yuzu and transformed into a very gentle mead. They say that the personality of the maker shows in the taste, and I truly felt that such kind-hearted people came to our open house.

〈Nationwide ⇒ Yasu〉

"We're opening up the factory, so why don't we process some fruit together?"

"That sounds fun! Let’s do it!"

That was the manifesto ANTELOPE put out in April to call for participants. Okada-kun insisted on using 400kg of Bankan, but there was no way Yazawa and Yusuke could handle it alone.

As if begging for someone to lend him their strength, just like a blond-haired hero, Yazawa asked all of you for help. As a result, kind souls gathered from all over the country and peeled the Bankan with us. It was a wonderful time, and I put my heart into brewing this mead to capture that experience.

〈Tasting Note〉
A light ABV with a hint of residual sugar. The gentle acidity of the yuzu added in the finish makes this perfect for a relaxing time. The green, slightly spicy aroma is a product of the freshness of the Bankan. It’s a calm, easy-going bottle that suits the phrase "early summer."

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Style: Fruited Sour Sparkling Mead / Melomel

ABV: 4%

Carbonation: Yes
Volume: 500ml
Ingredients: Bankan (from Uwajima, Ehime), Honey, Yuzu
Sweetness (10-point scale): 6 (Semi-Sweet)
Serving Temperature: Serve well-chilled (4-8°C)

〈Mead making〉
As mentioned, we prepared the Bankan together with everyone. The juice was mixed with honey and fully fermented. The peels were kept fresh, zested, and frozen. Just before the fermentation finished, we steeped them along with the yuzu juice. To create a touch of bitterness, we purposefully kept the peels in during the heat treatment, adding a little accent.

〈Naming〉
I’ve reached an age where I want to tell the weeks that fly by before I know it to "Stop!" I thought it might be nice for you all to spend your evenings with the same pace as a jog, so this is a name meant to accompany those kinds of nights.