Annual Raspberry Beer Now Available in Art-Designed Cans Announcing the release of "Röt Raspberry" can products

The Old Grey Brewery (TOGB), a craft brewery in Shiraoi-cho, Hokkaido, will begin selling canned products of Röt Raspberry, a popular fruit beer brewed only once a year, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Röt Raspberry

The new can design is based on the artwork "Shiraoi, Landscape of Light - Summer in Bifu Forest" (2024) by Kyoto-based artist SUMIRE Funakoshi. 30 yen per can will be used for social contribution activities such as cultural arts and environmental activities in Shiraoi Town.

TOGB has also launched the "TOGB Raspberry Project" to develop new products with local food and beverage businesses by rethinking the raspberry residue from the beer production process as a "new local food ingredient. The company is working to create a recycling-oriented eco-system in the Shiraoi and Iburi regions, with beer brewing as the starting point.

What is Röt Raspberry?

Roth Raspberry is a fruit beer made with raspberries grown by Tokachi organic farm Tokiiro Berry Farm. The soft carbonation produced by natural carbonation (natural foaming), which is unique to TOGB, is a feature of this beer. With an alcohol content of 3%, this beer is easy to drink and familiar to those who are not familiar with beer.

Only 1% of raspberries distributed in Japan are domestically produced. TOGB uses approximately 10% of the raspberries produced by the Tokiiiro Berry Farm, which produces approximately 25% of all domestically grown raspberries. Rare organic raspberries are carefully picked one by one for their tender pulp. Because the quality of raspberries varies from year to year, Mr. Tokisaki, the farm's representative, uses the most delicious blend of several varieties of raspberries.

Raspberries harvested at Tokiiro Berry Farm

The brewer's determination in the name "Röt

Röt means "red" in German. The name is synonymous with "Eau Rouge" - "red water" in French - a difficult spot on the F1 Belgian circuit, Spa-Francorchamps. The brewery's head brewer, Togo, explains his thoughts on the name: "Eau Rouge is the name of a place that is invisible to the naked eye.

Eau Rouge is a steep course with no clear path ahead. You have to overcome your fear and step on the gas pedal as hard as you can to win. The winemaker has the same moment. The acidity and sugar content of the fresh fruit changes from year to year. We prepare 700-800 liters at a time. It may not taste good, or it may be discarded. Facing such fears and trusting my own skills, I brew only once a year - that's what fruit beer is all about."

The beautiful deep red color and bright aroma of this beer shows no sign of this struggle. The brewer's determination is evident in each can.

The TOGB raspberry project - a form of local circulation born from by-products

The brewing process of Roth Raspberry produces residue from the raspberries soaked in the beer. This by-product, which would normally be discarded, is an attractive material with a rich aroma, and TOGB has rethought it as a "new material" and launched the "TOGB Raspberry Project" in 2026 to develop new products in cooperation with local food and beverage businesses.

This project aims to position the by-product of beer brewing as a "new local ingredient" and to create regional connections and attractive content together with restaurants in the Shiraoi and Iburi regions. The goal is not to create a one-time event, but to nurture relationships that will lead to the next event and create a new cycle within the community.

Starting with the first six stores, we will continue the project using raspberry residue in the future.

0Report on "Raspberry Party 2026" (February 15, 2026)

On Sunday, February 15, 2026, the project unveiling event "Raspberry Party 2026" was held at TOGB's taproom. The event included sales and tastings of collaborative products, a brewery tour by brewmaster Jugawa, and a talk by Tokizaki Ibuki of Toki Iro Berry Farm, the producer of the raspberries that are used as ingredients. The event was an opportunity to create new connections among businesses, producers, and customers.

During the talk, it was shared that domestic raspberries are scarce (1% of the domestic distribution), that Toki Iro Berry Farm produces about 25% of the domestic raspberries, and that TOGB uses about 10% of those raspberries. The project participants' desire to "make more effective use of rare materials" was further heightened.

About the "Fat Art Design Cans

The can design was based on the work "Shiraoi, Landscape of Light - Summer in Tobiu Forest" (2024) by Kyoto-based artist SUMIRE Funakoshi.

Violet Funakoshi was born in Osaka in 1996, and completed her graduate studies at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2022. She is an artist who explores the relationship between human memory and light by capturing the presence of light in her paintings by painting ambiguous and ambivalent subjects as if the focus has shifted, using oil painting that eliminates brushstrokes, etc. She has won the Grand Prix of the TOKYO MIDTOWN AWARD 2020 Art Competition, the Excellent Prize of the 76th GEN-TEN web (2020), etc. He is active both in Japan and abroad. He is energetically active both in Japan and abroad.

The work "Shiraoi, Landscape of Light - Summer in Tobiu Forest" (2024)

The artist's comments on the work are as follows

I wanted to create a painting based on the colors green and red from hops and raspberries, and the green of the forest and the red roof of the elementary school at the former Tobiki Elementary School, which I visited in September 2023, really made an impression on me. The image of the red ball of light with children singing in the forest was also very beautiful against the green of the forest. (SUMIRE Funakoshi)

TOGB continues to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the art-designed cans (30 yen per can) to Shiraoi-cho's social contribution activities such as cultural arts and environmental activities. TOGB's vision is to support local art and culture through beer and to foster an ecosystem that enriches the lives of those involved.

Outline of sales

Product Name ：Roth Raspberry, 350ml can

Style ：Fruit Session Lager

Alcohol content ：3

Release date ：March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) / Partial pre-sale from March 7, 2026

Price ： 1,560 yen (tax included)

Sales channels : taproom in-store/

　　　　　　　Online store BASE (https://theoldgrey.thebase.in)

　　　　　　　Other customers: Restaurants, etc.

Can design: SUMIRE Funakoshi, "Shiraoi, Light Scenery - Summer in Tobiu Forest" (2024)

Ingredients : Malted barley (made in Germany), Tokachi production, raspberries, hops, ente/carrageenan

About The Old Grey Brewery

The Old Grey Brewery is a craft beer brewery in Shiraoi-cho, Hokkaido. More than just a brewery, it aims to create new connections and ecosystems in the region by creating a place where culture, community, and art intersect. By combining the nature and history of Shiraoi with the creativity of local residents and artists, we deliver beer that enriches everyone involved.

Brewing policy: Natural carbonation (natural foaming) / Soft taste with entree / Use of raw materials produced in Hokkaido or near the region / Creation of a recycling-oriented eco-system including reuse of residues and by-products / A portion of sales from art-designed cans goes to social activities in Shiraoi Town

4-11, Omachi 3-chome, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 059-0905, Japan

Website: www.theoldgrey.com

Instagram : @theoldgreybrewery