Sustainable Malt and Hop Sourcing
Guided by the belief that “truly delicious beer comes from high-quality malt and hops,” Sapporo Breweries has consistently maintained a rigorous commitment to raw material procurement.Since raw materials are agricultural products whose quality and yield are influenced by the climate and environment of their regions of origin, continuous dialogue with producers and meticulous quality control are essential. Therefore, field managers—who possess specialized knowledge and experience in breeding, cultivation, and processing—play a central role in supporting stable quality and sustainable raw material procurement by working directly with producers around the world.
Reliable Quality Through Field Management
Field managers visit producers around the world. Based on “Field Profiles” created for each region and producer, they meticulously verify the quality of barley and hops and work alongside producers to implement initiatives aimed at securing better raw materials.
These efforts embody Sapporo Breweries’ philosophy of “creating raw materials together, starting from the field,” and play a vital role in cultivating high-quality barley and hops through collaboration with producers.
High-Quality Malt and Hops from Partners Around the World
Barley and hops are highly susceptible to climatic conditions, so diversifying production regions and collaborating with reliable partners are essential for the stable procurement of high-quality raw materials. Field managers build relationships with producers around the world to ensure quality and stabilize procurement. These efforts form the foundation for our ability to continue delivering delicious beer to our customers.
Adopting Environmentally Conscious Malt and Hops
To address the risk of reduced yields caused by climate change—such as diseases, droughts, and prolonged rainfall—we are actively working not only on variety R&D and agricultural technology R&D but also on adopting malt and hops that help reduce environmental impact.
A prime example of this is our decision to become the first in Japan to use “Clim Trace”—a malt with a reduced environmental footprint—in beer production. Produced by the major French malting company Souffle Malt, this malt reduces environmental impact by conducting soil analysis during the cultivation of the barley used as raw material and limiting fertilization to the absolute minimum required for optimal growth.
Clim Trace was used in a limited-edition beer at YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO in 2025, and in April 2026, the further-evolved “Regenova” was used in another limited-edition beer at the same brewery. These initiatives were made possible through strong collaboration with producers around the world and symbolize our commitment to environmentally conscious production.
Connecting Japan’s Barley and Hops to the Future
Since its founding, Sapporo Breweries has been one of the few breweries in the world to engage in the “breeding” of both barley and hops. To date, we have developed and released numerous high-quality varieties. As the impacts of climate change intensify, the development of new varieties and agricultural technology R&D are essential for ensuring the future of domestically produced barley and hops. We have supported the sustainable development of domestic ingredients through collaboration with producers, and we will continue to do so.