Zama Taps an Ultra-Rare Hitachino Nest Plum Ale

Center City sushi spot Zama is offering beer nerds a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this weekend to taste a beer that’s even more scarce than a barrel of Pliny the Younger. Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka scored one of the precious few kegs of Hitachino Nest’s Anbai Plum Wheat Ale to reach U.S. shores. It’s currently on tap now and expected to run out sometime this weekend.

The salted-plum flavored German wheat ale is unlike any other beer in the world, and was made with Japanese plums that Hitachino Nest owner Toshiyuki Kiuchi handpicked from trees in his personal orchard. The plums are soaked in Hitachno’s flagship White Ale, and after six months Mo-shio (natural sea salt) is added to produce a salty and sour profile.

The Zama tapping marks the beer’s Philadelphia debut. There’s no saying when, of even if, it will return. Check it out while you can.  

Photo: Hitachino Nest