Yokohama upcycles cinema popcorn into new sustainable craft beer

Yokohama City has announced the launch of YOKOHAMA HOPCORN LAGER, a craft beer brewed using surplus popcorn from local cinemas. This is the first time in Japan that food waste has been repurposed for craft beer production within a government-designated Decarbonisation Leading Area.

The project addresses the high volume of food waste identified in the Minato Mirai 21 district. Research by the city and the Yokohama SDGs Design Center revealed that cinemas often face surplus popcorn due to fluctuating visitor numbers. Additionally, unpopped kernels and broken pieces from the production process contribute to waste that would otherwise be discarded.

To solve this, the Yokohama SDGs Design Center matched the cinema Yokohama Burg 13 with Beer the First, a local startup specialising in upcycling food loss. In the brewing process, the collected popcorn serves as a carbohydrate source. It is mixed with malt to facilitate the fermentation required to produce alcohol and carbonation.

The resulting lager is described as having a crisp finish with a refreshing hop aroma. It contains 5% alcohol and is sold in 350ml cans. General retail will begin in late April at various supermarkets and department stores, including Seijo Ishii and Sogo Yokohama.