Coedo recently introduced their fans to a revamped version of Beniaka, their award-winning craft beer made with sweet potatoes. The “Beniaka Renewal Beer Beautiful Night” was held at “above GRILL & BAR” in Mori Tower of Toranomon Hills, Tokyo. The press, and later the general public, were treated to fine brews and an excellent line-up of food that was very thoughtfully paired with the beers. Coedo, in fact, is brewed with food in mind.

The Beniaka “renewal” release was the culmination of roughly two years of careful brewing experimentation. The biggest modification was going from a lager to an ale yeast, but Coedo’s world-class brewers also tinkered with other aspects of the recipe, including changes to some of the hops and the color (it’s a little darker now). Those who enjoy the presence of the sweet potato in the beer will be delighted to know that it still remains an ingredient, with subtle sweetness that pairs well with a variety of dishes. Sweet potato has been historically grown in the region around Coedo’s brewery, so at least the “local” didn’t change. Comparing the old version and the new version side by side will highlight the distinct change in flavor and color. The reaction of all those in attendance to the new iteration was incredibly positive.

Another change we immediately noticed and asked president Asagiri Shigeharu about was in the labeling of all of Coedo’s beers. In the past Beniaka simply had “Premium Lager” on the label, without a real description of the style or ingredients. Now the new label clearly says “Imperial Sweet Potato Amber”. In addition to the Beniaka, all of Coedo’s brews were on tap, including their most recent creation, Marihana, a delightful session IPA.

What’s behind all the changes? Besides Coedo’s steady commitment to quality and improvement, it seems its export endeavors might be influencing the moves to an extent. While Coedo is currently exported to over a dozen markets worldwide, it is on the cusp of a major push into the U.S. via its new import partner, Craft Imports in Long Beach. Having the beers properly labeled with their styles will be important in appealing to drinkers in the U.S. that tend to be savvy and want such information. A backhanded benefit of Beniaka being brewed with ale yeast is that its maturation time will be shortened significantly, allowing Coedo to ramp up production volume if demand spikes. Could that happen? The beer has previously won medals at prestigious world beer competitions, including the World Beer Cup. It is furthermore popular among chefs and foodies for its rich pairing possibilities. The massive sushi, washoku and Japanese-fusion scene in America will provide plenty of opportunity for the brewery, but even America’s craft beer culture may take a liking to the offerings.

Craft Imports is certainly confident this will happen. Beyond Beniaka, Coedo’s Kyara, an India-style pale lager, won silver at the last World Beer Cup in the American-style amber lager category, proving it can stand shoulder to shoulder with America’s (and the world’s) best. Perhaps not surprisingly, Coedo is already making inroads into one of America’s craft beer meccas: San Diego. Carried by Stone Distribution, Coedo’s tap handles are popping up at bars and restaurants all over the city. And with session IPAs growing in popularity in San Diego as well as other parts of America, the decision to brew Marihana seems prescient, too.

Craft Imports is importing using cold-chain logistics, meaning the beers stay cold and fresh from the brewery all the way to the tap. The price is attractive to many bars, too, because it’s consistent with Belgian imports. Who wants to pay twice as much for an amber or IPA just because it’s from Japan? Certainly not drinkers in a hyper-competitive market.

As much as the beers will speak for themselves, Asagiri will no doubt be a good ambassador for his company’s offerings during trips to America. Bilingual and cheerful in demeanor, he seems most at ease in large social settings. At the Beniaka event, he tirelessly moved about the room speaking with seemingly everyone without ever losing his smile. His passion is tempered by business acuity and deep patience, and clearly the company is in good hands.