#HappyHourClub 18 / Red Rice Ale from Hitachino Nest

What you may not know is that #happyhourclub started with another meet-up Sam and I created called the Beer Exchange, an event where people would bring their favorite ales or home brews to exchange with others. Great excuse to try new beers, right? One of my favorite breweries that stole a piece of my heart years ago is HITACHINO NEST BEER. This brewery is based in Japan and was hit hard during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. During that time, the brewery shut down to help rebuild their community. Talk about a great brand. Today I wanted to give you a peek into their Red Rice Ale that I recently purchased from my favorite DTLA local market, Urban Radish. This sake brewed ale has malt and sweet notes that are almost strawberry like. I love that HITACHINO brews up an interesting blend of malt and sake. Check out their beers the next time you're on the hunt for something new and different.