The brewery removes references to locality in its beer names to broaden appeal

Far Yeast Brewing Co Ltd, a leading Japanese craft brewery based in Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, is rebranding and consolidating its ‘Far Yeast Tokyo Series’ and ‘Far Yeast Genryu Series’ of beers into a new unified line called simply the ‘Far Yeast Series’.

In a recent statement, the company said its rebranding will start from 3 June 2024, and is intended to broaden its appeal. The renaming initiative responds to a desire to attract an increased national demand, and to transcend the regional identity associations in its product lines, the company said. Under the current nomenclature the use of ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Genryu’ may limit broader appeal by its association with such locations. Under the rebranding, new, less specific names will be used, along with the company’s generic pyramid logo.

The new Far Yeast Series will also introduce some modifications to the recipes based on consumer feedback and quality assurance insights. These include adjustments to the Far Yeast Blonde, which will feature herbal and citrus notes instead of its former tropical aromas; and a new hop structure for the Far Yeast IPA that will complement its floral and tropical notes with ester nuances.

Orders for products with the current branding will continue to be accepted in Japan until 31 May and will still be available for shipping overseas until that date. From 1 June, the new Far Yeast Series brands will then become available worldwide.