There is no doubt that festive summer beer fests are a blast. But autumn offers a break from the hot, steamy weather and sipping beers in the fresh, cool air amid natural surroundings is equally, if not more, pleasing. The aromatics and richness of beer seem to be enhanced in such a setting. Autumn is such a fantastic season to enjoy the outdoors!
On that note, on Nov. 11th and 12th, COEDO hosted the Muginotoki Music Festival 2023 at its brewery grounds in Higashi Matsuyama, Saitama. A spring version of the event was also held this past May. Though it’s only COEDO’s third iteration of the event, its popularity has grown substantially as indicated by near capacity attendance. It’s a music festival first and foremost, so the atmosphere and attendees were a departure from the norm at a standard beer festival. Families with children and their canine friends could be seen cozily lounging on picnic tarps. Guests warmly dressed in fall attire set up tents around the company’s barley field adjacent to the brewing facility. With cups of COEDO beer in hand, people were dancing and swaying to the live music played on the stage.
To the delight of its beer fans, COEDO offered a number of varieties at the festival, including its six standards, like Marihana (a session IPA) and Ruri (a pils), as well as a limited brew, Ototonari. The latter resembles a gruit beer, which uses herbs in lieu of hops for bittering. According to COEDO, the recipe has evolved since its May event. The concept was to mimic energy drinks that are popular with music festival attendees. In addition to brewing with barley harvested from COEDO’s field, orange peel and herbs, such as maca, lemongrass, and rosemary, were employed to create this intriguing, refreshing brew. Even in the chilly November weather, sipping on this cold beer was a pleasant, relaxing experience. The herbal aroma was evident and it was a good match with the scents of the surrounding nature. Combined with the calming effect of the chill, all instrumental music, it was easy to lose sense of time.
Usually, tours of the expansive facility are not available for visitors, but they were offered during the event. As an added bonus, COEDO CEO Shigeharu Asagiri himself gave insightful talks on beer and brewing. For some real hands-on experience at the autumn event, visitors were invited to participate in planting barley seeds. The results of their efforts will be a field of golden barley welcoming visitors to the spring event.
The Muginotoki Music Festival is a perfect event for music lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, families, and beer fans alike. We are looking forward to the next event, which is planned for May 11th and 12th, 2024. Check regularly for updates on COEDO’s official website.
