Today, February 25 is “YEBISU Day”, and 133 years since the birth of YEBISU beer.
YEBISU beer is a popular Japanese beer brand that has a long and rich history.
“YEBISU Day” has been officially recognized by the Japan Anniversary Association in 2012 to commemorate the launch of YEBISU Beer on February 25, 1890.
Since its birth, YEBISU beer has been loved as a representative beer of Japan, and today marks 133 years.
Here is a brief overview of the history of YEBISU beer.
Establishment of Nippon Beer Brewing Company
Focusing on the potential of the beer business, small and medium-sized capitalists from Tokyo and Yokohama gathered to establish the Nippon Beer Brewing Company in September 1887, with the goal of becoming No.1 beer company in Japan.
In April 1889, Nippon Beer Brewing Company’s business finally began to stabilize after gaining stable shareholders, including executives from Mitsui & Co.
Construction of the YEBISU Beer Brewery
In October 1889, two years after the company was established, the YEBISU Brewery was completed in Meguro-ku, Tokyo.
At the time, the area surrounding the brewery was sparsely populated with fields and forests.
The 1889 ”YEBISU Brewery”
All the brewing equipment, including the brewing kettle, steam engine, and ice machine, was purchased from Germany, and brewing engineers were invited from Germany.
From Daikoku-sama to Ebisu-sama
In February 1890, YEBISU Beer was launched.
The first label of ”YEBISU Beer”
The Nippon Beer Brewing Company was planning to exhibit it under the brand name “Daikoku Beer” at an exposition to be held in April of the same year.
However, the Daikoku brand had already been registered as a trademark, so the company changed the name to YEBISU (Ebisu), another one of the Seven Gods.
Character changed from Daikoku-sama to Ebisu-sama
At the Expo, YEBISU Beer was awarded the third prize, along with Sapporo Beer. In the judges’ report, YEBISU beer was praised as having the “best quality” along with Kirin Beer.
Japanese Breweries increasing
Around the 1890s, a lot of small breweries were established throughout Japan. However, most of them disappeared within a few years, probably due to poor quality.
YEBISU Beer stood out from these bubble beers and was of such high quality that newspapers reported that it was having a major impact on the sales of imported beer.
As YEBISU beer became more well-known, some fake YEBISU beer began to appear on the market. Especially in the years following 1897, the number of fake YEBISU beer continued to increase, and Nippon Beer Breweries company was involved in numerous lawsuits for trademark infringement. This was proof of the popularity of YEBISU beer.
YEBISU Beer became a brand of Sapporo Beer
In 1906, Nippon Beer Breweries company, Sapporo Beer company, and Osaka Beer company merged to Dai-Nippon Beer Breweries Corporation.
In 1964, Dai-Nippon Beer Breweries Corporation changed its name to Sapporo Beer Corporation and YEBISU Beer became one of the brands of Sapporo Beer.
Summary
Over the years, YEBISU beer has become one of the most popular beer brands in Japan.
It is known for its rich, full-bodied flavor and its distinctive, retro-style packaging.
In recent years, Sapporo Beer Corporation has expanded the YEBISU beer brand to include a variety of different beers, including a wheat beer, a black lager, and a seasonal beer that is released each year.
YEBISU line-up
Overall, YEBISU beer has a long and storied history in Japan, and it remains a be loved beer brand among both Japanese and international beer drinkers today!
