Hitachino Nest Alcohol-Free Beers

Hitachino Nest is the beer of Kiuchi Brewery in Naka, Ibaraki, Japan, founded in 1823, brewing beer since 1996 and family-run, Harpers reported. In Japan its alcohol-free drink is Non Ale, at 0.3%; the UK shops sell a Yuzu Ginger Non Ale, which Kiuchi’s product pages don’t list.

Who are Hitachino Nest?

Kiuchi Gihei, the village headman of Konosu, founded the brewery in 1823: “1823年に現在の茨城県那珂市の地で、木内儀兵衛により創業。” (founded by Kiuchi Gihei in 1823, on the site of today’s Naka City, Ibaraki), it says. It began as a sake brewery, its US importer, B. United, says.

Hitachino Nest beer began in 1996, after a change to Japan’s liquor tax law in 1994: “The four employees at the time started brewing beer from scratch,” the brewery says. Its Amber Ale won a gold medal at an international competition in 1997, the brewery says; exports began in 1999–2000, and in 2007 it opened its Nukata brewery “to establish a mass production system for beer”.

“Hitachino Nest Beer was named after the town of Konosu in Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where it was born,” the brewery says; Konosu’s name, 鴻巣, contains 巣, the character for nest. It doesn’t explain the owl logo; B. United calls it “Hitachino Nest ‘Owl’ Beer”.

Harpers described Kiuchi as a “Japanese family-owned brewery” in 2015, run by its president, Toshiyuki Kiuchi, and Ibaraki Prefecture’s export directory still lists Toshiyuki Kiuchi as the representative of two Kiuchi companies in 2026. The brewery’s own company page names no shareholders or parent, and we found no drinks group involved, so we list it as independent.

What Hitachino Nest brews

In the UK, James Clay lists Amber Ale (6.0%), DaiDai, a Japanese orange pale ale (6.0%), Red Rice Ale (7.0%), Saison du Japon (5.0%), White Ale (5.5%), Japanese Classic, an IPA (7.0%), and Yuzu Lager (5.5%). Kiuchi also makes sake, umeshu, Hinomaru Whisky and Hinomaru Gin.

How big is Hitachino Nest?

The Nukata brewery makes about 3,000 kilolitres a year (30,000 hectolitres, our sum), and “その約 50％は海外へ出荷されています”, about half is shipped abroad, Kiuchi said in 2025; Harpers put exports at about 60% of its beer in 2015. It sells in more than 40 countries, it says.

Hitachino Nest’s alcohol-free beers

In Japan, Kiuchi sells one beer-style alcohol-free drink, Non Ale, in a 330ml bottle and, from February 2025, a 350ml can. “この商品は0.3％のアルコールを含みます。”, it says: “This product contains 0.3% alcohol.” It’s “厳選した麦芽とホップのみを原料に醸造しました”, brewed using only carefully selected malt and hops, Kiuchi says, and the ingredients are malt (imported), hops and carbon dioxide. Japan classes it as a carbonated soft drink (炭酸飲料), and Kiuchi calls it a beer-taste beverage; it never says it’s dealcoholised. The only account of the method we found is from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): a “light bubbliness, achieved by a low fermentation speed”.

The UK shops sell Yuzu Ginger Non Ale, which isn’t on Kiuchi’s product pages. Kiuchi names James Clay and Sons as its UK distributor, and James Clay lists it as an “Alcohol Free Ale w/ Yuzu & Ginger” at 0.3%, in 33cl bottles: “Acidity from the yuzu, and spice from the ginger balance off against the base beer for a refreshing finish.” In the US, Kiuchi’s importer, B. United International, lists it under the heading “Hitachino Nest Non-Ale”, as a “Non-Alcoholic Brew” of “less than 0.5%”, 330ml, made by Kiuchi Shuzo K.K. That is B. United’s only Hitachino non-alcoholic listing, which suggests the export Non Ale is the yuzu-ginger version, but no source says so outright.

B. United finds it “Vaguely reminiscent of iced tea with floral, honied aromatics and flavors plus a touch of sweet mint”, with yuzu and ginger providing “a liveliness and zest without overwhelming”. US shops say under 0.5% or 0.5%, and our directory table shows 0.5%. Nobody publishes calories for either Non Ale that we could find.

Kiuchi’s awards page lists these for “Non-ale”: bronze at the International Beer Cup in 2020; silver at the Australian International Beer Awards in 2021; silver at the Japan Great Beer Awards in 2021, and bronze there in 2025 and 2026; and a gold and Country Winner in the Low-Alcohol category at the World Beer Awards in 2026. It doesn’t say whether they were for the plain or the yuzu-ginger version. JETRO separately reports a Japan Great Beer Awards silver for the Non Ale; the others are Kiuchi’s claims, and we couldn’t confirm them.

How the Yuzu Ginger Non Ale compares

The other Japanese alcohol-free beer in our directory, and another with yuzu. The Yuzu Ginger Non Ale is shown at 0.5%; its UK distributor says 0.3%. Calories as published; checked 31 October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

The Hitachino Nest drink in our directory

Checked 31 October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

Where to buy Hitachino Nest

On 30 October 2026 The Alcohol Free Co had Yuzu Ginger Non Ale at £3.11 a bottle or £18.39 for six, and Dry Drinker six for £17.94; those are affiliate links. Wise Bartender doesn’t list it, and Kiuchi’s own online shop sells only the plain Non Ale, in Japan. For more, see our guide to the best alcohol-free pale ale.

Facts checked against Kiuchi Brewery’s own websites, awards page and press releases, B. United International, James Clay, JETRO, Harpers, Ibaraki Prefecture’s export directory, Untappd, The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker, 31 October 2026.