Inclus: the Art of Small-Batch NA Brewing

MODSUB#106

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Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Myles

P.S. Raise a glass to Grandpa EE, an avid ModSub reader, who went through heart surgury yesterday. We’re rooting for you!

Correction: In last week’s edition I covered Kolonne Null’s delicious Sparkling Rosé. In the piece I mentioned the wine company had been founded by Martin Rößle. This was incorrect. The company was founded by Philipp Rößle.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Inclus - Batch 13 & Batch 14

BEER
NA Beverage Co. - Revolución

Read time: 5 minutes 40 seconds

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New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• BEER: Up in Windsor, Ontario, a new brewery called Hyena launched its first beer this summer — an IPA packed with electrolytes. (Link)

• COCKTAILS: Former football player launches Mark’s Mocktails. (Link)

• WINE: To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, French Bloom and Estelle Colored Glass have collaborated on The October Rose Set. (Link)

• FUNCTIONAL SPIRIT: Ellora is a new THC-infused spirit from Crescent Canna. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

• BEER: Australians will get to try the brand-new Pale Ale from Hiatus Beers, the brewery’s third offering. (Link)

• COCKTAIL: Over in the UK, AU Vodka has debuted Blue Raspberry 0%. (Link)

BEER

ModSub’s thoughts: One of the things I love about writing this newsletter is discovering new non-alcoholic drinks from around the world. Most I’ll probably never get to try, but it’s always exciting to know that if I ever visit that country, there’ll be something for me to hunt down. So, it’s a special treat when someone reaches out from halfway around the world and asks if I’d like to try their creations.

Last month, I was stoked to hear from Shun Ishida of Inclus Wine and Brewing in Tokyo, Japan, who was visiting the East Coast and offered to send over a couple of craft beers from his current batches. I didn’t hesitate for a second.

You’ll find Inclus Wine and Brewing in the charming old-town neighbourhood of Yanaka in Tokyo. Opening in 2022, the store began by selling natural wines but always had its eye on crafting its own non-alcoholic beer. Halfway through last year, they launched their first three brews — Batch 1: Passion Fruit West Coast IPA, Batch 2: Lychee Green Tea Weizen, and Batch 3: Pineapple Coconut IPA.

It’s a small but dedicated operation, which makes the venture all the more appealing. Each batch consists of about 220 litres — roughly 600 (12oz) cans. With only a manual canning setup, which is significantly time-consuming, just 400 cans actually make it out to customers. So far, no batch has been repeated, making these highly limited runs almost collectible.

With recipes like Rangpur Lemonade Hazy, Niagara & Mango Hazy, and Kyo-Bancha Bergamot Sour, I asked Shun where he gets inspiration for each batch.

“From foods, drinks, pastries, and everything. We usually have a main fruit and something to make it unique.”

So will Inclus go from small-batch brewing to scaling the business for wider distribution?

“I hope to expand to a wider range of low/non-alc (3%–0.00%) brewery in the future and make it a scalable business. But right now, it’s really about testing the production side and establishing a good recipe.”

Inclus beer isn’t yet available in the U.S., but if you find yourself in Tokyo, be sure to visit the store and try their latest releases.

Batch 12: Suika-Chile Tropical Amber

There’s a distinct lack of NA ambers on the market, so it’s always great to come across one — especially one as good as this. The depth of flavour is fantastic. Watermelon forms the base, bolstered by a jammy tropical mix. Overlay that with biscuity malts and an earthiness that’s hard to pin down, but combined, its complexity is utterly enticing. The chile, though, is the icing on the cake. Prominent yet humble, its warmth rounds out the beer with a perfectly balanced kick. I could drink these all winter long.

Batch 13: Apple & Juniper IPA

The first thing you notice with this IPA is its smooth, creamy mouthfeel, before the bready malts kick in to prepare your taste buds for what’s next. Then comes a rush of piney citrus from the juniper berries and a tartness from the Kogyoku apples, which carries through to a mild, bitter hop finish. It’s unusual yet wildly familiar — and an IPA that stands tall with the best of them.

How Shen describes Batch 12: “I combined watermelon straight juice wih tropical fruit mix puree and added accents with chilli peppers. After the freshness of the watermelon, there is a firm body with malt-like biscuit and the sweetness of tropical fruit”.

How Shen describes Batch 13: “The body is accented with juniper berries on the red jade (apple) of Kuraishi, Aomori Prefecture. Hop has a hop feeling that is not inferior to juniper with the iron plate combination of Nelson of New Zealand and, Likwaka and Citra of Oregon. The apple feeling is not that strong, and it produces the juiciness of the body”.

BEER

ModSub’s thoughts: Here’s a non-alc Mexican lager from the NA Beverage Company to keep your eye out for—especially if you find yourself in SoCal. The company was started by Dan Choi in mid-2023, when he turned his back on a 20-year consulting career to follow his passion for creating non-alcoholic drinks.

Six months later, he had released his first NA beer, and three months after that, his first non-alcoholic functional cocktail. Spending his weekends giving out samples at farmers’ markets, word quickly started to spread about the drinks. The hard work paid off when a chance meeting with the owner of Jensen’s resulted in their first supermarket deal. A recent update from the founder revealed that his dream has gone from idea to being stocked in over 200 accounts across the country in just two short years. It’s still early days for the fledgling beverage company, but a big-stage debut at Expo West this year gave them both validation and major brand recognition.

The company currently has six SKUs—four functional non-alc cocktails and two beers. I picked up Revolución during the summer, and as I’ve just made a large pot of chipotle honey chicken in the slow cooker, it’s time to crack this Mexican lager open. 

Oooh—this is very nice. A lovely head from the pour and sustained lacing is always a good sign. The malts are dominant from the off, with what I can best describe as a sweet-corn flavor. Don’t be put off by that if it raises an eyebrow—it works beautifully with the squeeze of lime added to the recipe.

It’s a fun beer. Pick up a few for the beach if you’re still in warmer climes than me, or for your next taco night with friends. Viva la Revolución!

How does NA Beverage Co. describe their Revolución: Sweet and corny aroma with subtle notes of citrus. Light, clean, crisp, and refreshing taste with just a hint of lime. Highly crushable.

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