We made a rice lager with Notch!

Press Contact
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale
alyssa@thekojiclub.com

Notch Brewing and The Koji Club Debut Limited “Tomodachi” Rice Lager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boston, MA October 24, 2025 — Notch Brewing and The Koji Club announce the release of a collaborative rice lager brewed with yamada nishiki sake rice sourced from Isbell Farm in Arkansas, one of the only U.S. growers of Japan’s prized sake rice. The beer is a collaboration between neighbors at The Charles River Speedway in Allston/Brighton and represents a meeting of New England craft brewing and Japanese fermentation traditions, highlighting sake rice in a crisp, modern lager. The beer was brewed using Isbell Farm’s yamada nishiki rice polished to a 70% milling ratio with premium pilsner malt, sorachi ace hops and Notch’s house yeast. The label art on the bottles was done by beloved local artist Kenji Nakayama. Ticket Link Here

“There is a unique crispy texture to Japanese rice lagers that people crave. When I am in Japan visiting sake brewers, we start most meals with a small beer before diving into freshly brewed bottles of sake and their various food pairings. But there is almost always a sidecar of rice lager on the table. When I shared this with the Notch brewing team, who had always wanted to brew a rice lager, they lit up with ideas and riffed on the potential process like watching a band write a song. The beer rings incredibly true to a Japanese rice lager, but brewed right here at the Charles River Speedway.” - Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale

To celebrate, The Koji Club will host a Friendsgiving on Sunday, November 16, 2025, featuring Portland, Maine’s award-winning Mr. Tuna, known for their sushi hand rolls, as well as specials from all vendors at The Charles River Speedway. Guests can enjoy the first bottles of the Notch × The Koji Club Rice Lager at the party and ongoing on the menu at The Koji Club. The beer will be poured on draft at Notch starting a week later. This collaboration celebrates craftsmanship, friendship, and fermentation as a shared love letter to rice and the people who grow it.

Event Details
Sunday, November 16, 2025 2pm to 5pm
The Koji Club Patio at The Charles River Speedway, Brighton MA
Rice Lager Release + Friendsgiving Party featuring Mr. Tuna
Spin The Bottle will DJ the Party

Photography Link Here
Ticket Link Here

For more information, visit:
thekojiclub.com  notchbrewing.com kenjinakayama.com https://www.instagram.com/letsspinthebottle/?hl=en