GRANDLINE BREWING Teams Up with Years-Waitlisted Culinary Gem nacol to Launch Ultimate Food-Pairing Craft Beer 'nacol Beer'

GRANDLINE BREWING (CEO: Hayato Onishi, hereinafter GLB), a craft brewery located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, has teamed up with nacol (Nacor), a restaurant renowned among food connoisseurs and requiring reservations years in advance, to launch a limited-edition collaboration beer. This project aims to redefine craft beer by pursuing a new form of pairing between beer and Italian cuisine, harmonizing both parties' craftsmanship and philosophy.

The beer encapsulates GRANDLINE BREWING’s new theme of 【SUPERMERGE – Extraordinary Fusion with Food】 and the “refined afterglow of bliss” created by nacol’s owner-chef I. Kamekame through his deep exploration of cured ham and seasonally attuned Italian dishes—distilled into a single craft beer.

An exclusive opportunity will also be offered for customers to recreate the restaurant’s “ultimate pairing experience” at their own dining tables.

"The Craft Beer Seriously Conceived by a Cured Ham Specialist": GRANDLINE BREWING × nacol Collaboration Beer 【nacol Beer】

Product Name: nacol Beer

Beer Style: Cold Session IPA

Alcohol Content: 5.0% ALC. BY VOL.

Ingredients: Malted barley (manufactured in Australia), sugars, hops, carrageenan / carbon dioxide

This limited beer was realized through the passionate recipe development and brewing efforts of GRANDLINE BREWING’s brewers, designed specifically to complement nacol’s premium cured ham and seasonal Italian dishes.

Fermented with a delicate lager yeast, the beer offers a dry, light mouthfeel that enhances the saltiness and umami richness of cured ham, while a soft, lingering hop finish gently unfolds within its crisp body.

nacol Beer will be available for pairing orders at the nacol restaurant starting July 17, 2026.

[Comments from nacol’s Owner-Chef, I. Kamekame]

— Among the many ingredients and wines you’ve worked with, why did you choose to collaborate with GRANDLINE BREWING?

I’ve paired cured ham not only with wine but also with sake and tea, yet I’ve never encountered a beer that truly complements a dish rather than merely serving as a backdrop. However, when I tasted GRANDLINE BREWING’s beer, I was struck not only by the hop aroma and light drinkability but especially by the “elegance of its aftertaste.” It doesn’t overpower the dish—instead, it enhances the natural sweetness and umami of the ingredients. I was convinced that this beer could create an entirely new pairing experience with nacol’s cured ham and seasonal dishes, which led me to propose this collaboration.

— How do you envision this beer enhancing the experience of your seasonal dishes and the lingering finish of your cured ham?

I feel this beer acts like a “bridge” that supports the meal from behind. It gently resets the fat and aged aroma of the ham while preserving the ingredient’s original fragrance. This creates a pleasant rhythm where each dish naturally leads to the desire for the next bite. Rather than simply completing a dish, it connects courses seamlessly—an expression of beer pairing only possible at a dedicated cured ham restaurant.

— What kind of experience do you hope guests will have with this beer?

Most people associate pairing with wine, so experiencing such a dish-centric beer will be a refreshing surprise. I hope guests appreciate not just the casualness of beer, but also the “delicacy that only beer can express.” I want this unique combination, exclusive to nacol, to become a memorable moment for everyone.

nacol Restaurant Overview

Name: nacol (Nacor)

Cuisine: Italian

Address: Side Place 1F, 3-28-9 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0032

Access: 10-minute walk from Asakusa Station via Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line, or Tobu Isesaki Line

Approx. 9-minute walk (about 673m) from Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station

※ Awarded in Italian TOKYO Hyakumeiten 2025