Sustainable Craft Beer "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" Created Using Popcorn from Movie Theaters in Minatomirai, Yokohama!

Key facts

  • Sustainable Craft Beer "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" Created Using Popcorn from Movie Theaters in Minatomirai, Yokohama!
  • In Yokohama's Minatomirai 21 district, a sustainable craft beer named "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" has been developed using discarded popcorn from a local movie theater. This initiative aims to reduce food waste and promote regional resource circulation as part of the Decarbonization Leading Area efforts.
  • Source: PR Times
  • Date: April 3, 2026

Direct answer

In Yokohama's Minatomirai 21 district, a sustainable craft beer named "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" has been developed using discarded popcorn from a local movie theater. This initiative aims to reduce food waste and promote regional resource circulation as part of the Decarbonization Leading Area efforts.

Citation
Sustainable Craft Beer "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" Created Using Popcorn from Movie Theaters in Minatomirai, Yokohama! (April 3, 2026), PR Times
Source
PR Times
Date
April 3, 2026
In Yokohama's Minatomirai 21 district, a sustainable craft beer named "YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER" has been developed using discarded popcorn from a local movie theater. This initiative aims to reduce food waste and promote regional resource circulation as part of the Decarbonization Leading Area efforts.
NQ 50/100出典：PR Times

📋 Article Processing Timeline

  • 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 21:30
  • 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 17:11
  • 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 11:58 (330h 47m after Collected)
The Minatomirai 21 district has been selected as a "Decarbonization Leading Area" by the Ministry of the Environment through a joint proposal by the City of Yokohama and the Yokohama Minatomirai 21 General Incorporated Association. In addition to decarbonizing electricity, the district is actively working on reducing and utilizing waste. Now, as a new initiative to reduce food loss in the district, a sustainable craft beer has been created using popcorn generated at a local movie theater as its raw material. This craft beer production utilizing food loss is the first of its kind in Japan as an initiative related to a Decarbonization Leading Area. 1 Craft Beer "HOPCORN LAGER" It offers a light taste with a crisp mouthfeel and the refreshing aroma of hops spreading throughout. The flavor is designed to be widely enjoyed even by those who do not usually drink craft beer. Product Name: YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER Volume: 350ml (Can / Can be stored at room temperature) Alcohol Content: 5% / Shelf Life: 240 days Seller: Beer the First Inc. [Event Pre-sale] Sales Dates: April 4 (Sat), 5 (Sun) Sales Location: Inside the event booth at Live! Yokohama Grand Mall Park *Draft beer will be sold exclusively at the event (cans will not be sold). [General Sale] Sales Start: Sequentially from late April Sales Locations: (*1) Shokuhinkan Aoba, Seijo Ishii, FUJI, DeliDo, Sotetsu Rosen Yokohama Burg 13 (Goods Shop), TECH HUB YOKOHAMA (In-house cafe) (*2) Sogo Yokohama Store, Yokohama Takashimaya, STORY STORY YOKOHAMA inside Colette Mare, AKOMEYA TOKYO Yokohama Porta Sales locations are accurate as of the announcement date. We aim to expand the number of stores to reach as many people as possible. *1: May not be available at some stores. *2: Sold at "Tomt cafe bistro bar" inside TECH HUB YOKOHAMA. 2 Background of the Initiative While tracking and visualizing the status of resource circulation in the Minatomirai 21 district, it was discovered that a large proportion of the district's waste consisted of food garbage. Consequently, the City of Yokohama and the Yokohama SDGs Design Center have held study sessions on reducing food loss with interested local facilities. Through hearings prompted by these sessions, it was revealed that local movie theaters unavoidably generate a certain amount of food waste, such as popcorn reaching its expiration date due to fluctuations in visitor numbers affecting sales, as well as non-standard items like un-popped or broken kernels from the manufacturing process. To utilize food that "is discarded even though it can still be eaten," a sustainable craft beer production was realized by partnering with Beer the First Inc. and receiving raw materials from Yokohama Burg 13. 3 Business Scheme and Beer Production Using Food Loss In the general beer brewing process, carbohydrates contained in the raw malt are broken down into sugars by enzymes, and then the sugars are fermented by yeast to produce alcohol and carbonation. In this initiative, through matching by the Yokohama SDGs Design Center, we collaborated with Beer the First Inc., a city-based startup that manufactures and sells craft beer utilizing food that would otherwise be wasted. Popcorn collected at the movie theater is mixed with malt as part of the carbohydrate source and used in the preparation. This successfully contributes to the reduction of food loss through beer production. (Reference) What is a Decarbonization Leading Area? Working towards carbon neutrality by 2050, these are areas selected through public recruitment by the Ministry of the Environment based on the "Regional Decarbonization Roadmap." By fiscal 2030, these areas aim to achieve requirements tailored to regional characteristics, such as "net-zero CO2 emissions associated with electricity consumption in the civilian sector (household and business/other sectors)."

FAQ

What is YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER?

It is a sustainable craft beer brewed using discarded popcorn from a movie theater in Minatomirai, Yokohama, as an ingredient.

Where can I buy it?

It will be available from late April at local supermarkets, Yokohama Burg 13, and department stores in Yokohama.

What does it taste like?

It has a crisp taste with a refreshing hop aroma, making it light and easy to drink even for beginners to craft beer.

Back to Newsroom (340)