Sankt Gallen Co., Ltd., a craft beer maker based in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture (CEO: Nobuhisa Iwamoto), will release a limited-edition set featuring chocolate-flavored beer "Imperial Chocolate Stout" and an edible chocolate glass starting February 2, 2026 (Monday).
This product sells out on the first day every year and will be available exclusively online.
About the Chocolate-Flavored Beer "Imperial Chocolate Stout"
This is not a beer made with chocolate candy or cocoa. The chocolate flavor is drawn out from high-temperature roasted "chocolate malt," a beer ingredient. Using approximately three times the amount of all ingredients, including chocolate malt, compared to regular black beer, the beer has a high alcohol content and a rich, full-bodied taste comparable to full-bodied red wine. Like wine, it can be aged for up to two years.
Alcohol: 9%
Volume: 330ml
Reference Price: 715 yen (tax included)
About the Edible "Chocolate Glass"
The chocolate beer itself has a bitter chocolate flavor, and it pairs exceptionally well with real chocolate. This product was created to enjoy both together.
The inspiration came from "Ika Tokkuri," a traditional Japanese seafood product made in Hokkaido and the Sanriku region. It's a dried squid shaped like a sake bottle that can be used as a drinking vessel for sake and eaten as a snack after drinking.
Similarly, the chocolate glass can be used to pour chocolate beer, drink from it, and then be eaten entirely.
This original creation by patissier Tadashi Yanagi features carefully selected cacao that pairs well with beer, finished by hand one by one. The aroma of the chocolate glass and the chocolate beer blend together, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy chocolate from the moment you pour the beer, through the lingering aroma when drinking, to the aftertaste.
About Tadashi Yanagi
After working at Ginza Mikasa Kaikan and Puy d'Amour, he joined the French restaurant "Crescent" as chef patissier in 1983. He later trained at "Maison du Chocolat" in Paris and "Troisgros," a three-star restaurant in Roanne.
After serving as executive chef at Crescent, he opened Patisserie "Tadashi Yanagi" on November 15, 1998.
In 1995, he won 2nd place overall and 1st place in the dessert presentation category at the "Coupe du Monde," the World Cup of pastry.
He served as an international judge and head coach of the Japanese team in 2007, leading them to victory.
He served as an international judge and head coach of the Japanese team in 2009 and 2011.
He received the Award for Contemporary Master Craftsmen in 2015 and the Yellow Ribbon Medal in 2025.
Chocolate Glass Set Sales Information
Price: 4,536 yen (tax included)
Contents: Imperial Chocolate Stout 2026 (1 bottle) / Chocolate glass (1 piece)
Sales Start: February 2, 2026 (Monday) at 12:00 PM
Sales Location: Sankt Gallen Online Shop
Note: Available exclusively online; not sold in stores
Note: Phone orders are not accepted
Note: Limited quantity; sales end when sold out
Four Flavors of Chocolate Beer Available
Chocolate beer is currently available in four flavors, including Imperial Chocolate Stout.
Raspberry Chocolate Stout
A 2026 limited-edition flavor. This beer recreates the classic French confection pairing of "chocolate × raspberry."
Raspberries equivalent to 30% of the malt volume are boiled down and used. Within the rich bitter chocolate flavor from high-temperature roasted chocolate malt, the sweet and sour raspberry flavor spreads clearly.
Alcohol: 8% Price: 605 yen (tax included)
Orange Chocolate Stout
Daidai oranges used in marmalade are finely chopped with the peel, simmered to concentrate the flavor, and then added to the wort for fermentation. The taste resembles the French confection "orangette," where orange peel is coated with chocolate. The orange aroma is vibrant, and a marmalade-like aftertaste lingers.
Alcohol: 6.5% Price: 605 yen (tax included)
Sweet Vanilla Stout (Valentine Label)
A rich black beer like espresso with vanilla aroma infused. The taste is sweet and mellow, with a vanilla chocolate-like aftertaste. Without adding any artificial essences, it uses A-grade vanilla from Papua New Guinea, also used by top-class patissiers.
Alcohol: 6.5% Price: 539 yen (tax included)
Note: Raspberry Chocolate Stout and Orange Chocolate Stout are classified as "happoshu" (low-malt beer) under Japanese liquor tax law because they use more fruit than permitted. However, the malt ratio is high, so the tax rate is the same as beer, distinguishing them from tax-saving happoshu.
Note: Sweet Vanilla Stout is the only year-round product. Currently available in limited quantities with a Valentine label.
About Sankt Gallen
Sankt Gallen manufactured and sold small-batch beer in America before craft beer was legalized in Japan, making it the "original craft brewery." This became a topic in American media such as TIME and Newsweek, spreading to Japanese media. It stirred public opinion and contributed to the legalization of craft beer in Japan. For this reason, it is called "Craft Beer No. 0" within the industry.
Sankt Gallen consistently brews "ale," which has a completely opposite brewing method and taste profile from the "lager" mainstream among major breweries. The company has won numerous awards in domestic and international competitions. In addition to these traditional beers, Sankt Gallen produces and sells various unique beers, including one-sho bottle beer, a barley wine released simultaneously with Beaujolais Nouveau, and fruit beers made with seasonal fruits, widely promoting the appeal of craft beer.
Sankt Gallen is the name of a place in Switzerland. The Sankt Gallen Abbey located there was the first place in the world to obtain a brewing license. The brand name "Sankt Gallen" carries on this origin.
Official Website: https://www.sanktgallenbrewery.com/
