Press Release:
(New York, NY) – Shmaltz Brewing Company officially teams up with Nagano Trading Co. for distribution in Japan of both acclaimed lines, HE’BREW Beer® and Coney Island Craft Lagers®. Nagano Trading Co. is located in Yokohama, Japan and is the exclusive importer/distributor of many top American craft breweries. Nagano Trading Co. aims to connect quality, handcrafted products with Japanese beer drinkers looking for the finest craft beers in the world. Their imports help lend positive and educational examples to the Japanese craft brewing community.
Andrew Balmuth, founder of Nagano Trading Co., comments, “We are excited to have Jeremy’s tasty brews In the Land of the Rising Sun. The first shipment arrived in February 2012, and the release party was on February 28th at Good Beer Faucets in Shibuya, Tokyo. The release was an instant hit with five draft beers on tap: Mermaid Pilsner®, Conley Island Lager®, Messiah Nut Brown Ale®, Hop Manna IPA®, and Origin®. The event was co-organized by Tim Eustace, founder of Tokyo-based beer group Beer Education Enjoyment & Relaxation Society (BEERS), as well as Good Beer Faucets. Japanese beer drinkers really enjoyed the range of flavors and styles. As it turns out Japanese folks love Jewish and Freak Show beer so more is arriving soon. Can’t wait to see if we have any Sword Swallowers, Blockheads, and Dancing Rabbis at the next party.”
Shmaltz proprietor Jeremy Cowan says, “After being invited to give a presentation at the Japanese Craft Brewers Conference in 2011, I was really excited to have Nagano Trading ask us to be a part of their fantastic portfolio of top shelf American craft beers marketed in Japan. The craft beer scene there is so dynamic and expanding so fast – with both exceptional local small brewers and imported specialty craft beers – that I’m very happy to have Shmaltz Brewing beers in the Japanese beer landscape. And it’s fun to say L’Chaim in Japanese – Kampai!”
Nagano Trading Co. is proud to start distributing the following Shmaltz beers: Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale®, Messiah Nut Brown Ale®, Hop Manna IPA®, Origin®, Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.®, Coney Island Lager®, Coney Island Albino Python®, and Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner®. For more information on Nagano Trading Co., please visit: www.naganotrading.com.
Shmaltz brewing is coming to Japan at a really good time. Many industry insiders are claiming 2012 will be the year of craft in Japan, where we hit a tipping point that sees craft beer expand into more mainstream restaurants and bars. Craft beer drinkers will no longer be an extremely marginal demographic. Nagano Trading does a great job of bringing their beers to Japan fresh and delicious, and their partnership with Shmaltz will do much to expand the lineup throughout Japan.
Ry (publisher of Japan Beer Times)
I wish Schmaltz all the best on their global expansion but it’s a hard pill to swallow that their branding will fair well among the Japanese. I’m not Japanese mind you and know little about what imported beer sells in Japan but I assume looking at everything else they make/buy that some other US brands will fill the Japanese demand for imported beer leaving Schmaltz a piece of the pie too small to call worth cutting.