Nagano Minamikaze Beer brews 'Kigenbei' pale ale with Hinohara Village water
Nagano Minamikaze Beer said on Instagram that it received 500 liters of brewing water from Hinohara Village in western Tokyo and began brewing its pale ale, 'Kigenbei.' The update reflects the Nagano City brewpub's ongoing focus on local ingredients and regional collaboration.
Hop BroI’ve got a fun one today: beer brewed with water from Hinohara Village. Nagano Minamikaze Beer is making the pale ale called Oni Genbei.
MugiWait, what! Shipping water from Tokyo to Nagano for beer? That’s actually a thing!?
Hop BroIt is, yeah. This time they received 500 liters of brewing water from Hinohara in Tokyo, packed as 25 boxes of 20 liters, and poured them into the tank one by one.
MugiHold on, what is brewing water exactly? They’re not saving it just for drinking, right? It all goes into the beer?
Hop BroExactly. Brewing water is basically the beer’s framework. It helps with converting the malt and supports fermentation, so changing the water changes the whole outline of the flavor.
MugiNo way! I thought water was just backstage, but it’s doing main-character-level work. Someone put it at the top of the credits!
Hop BroAnd the beer they’re brewing is Hinohara Village’s craft beer, Oni Genbei Pale Ale. Their post says the last two batches turned out great too, so this looks like an ongoing release.
MugiWhat even is that! Pale ale sounds like some hop wizard spell when you say it like that. What does it taste like?
Hop BroNo need to overthink it. Pale ale is a friendly, approachable style with a nice balance of aroma and drinkability, and it can show off differences in local water really well.
Hop BroNagano Minamikaze Beer is a brewpub in Shintamachi, Nagano City. They moved there in December 2021, got their brewing license in April 2022, and it’s an 8-minute walk from Nagano Station.
MugiThat’s so cool! Using Shinshu ingredients while teaming up with Hinohara really feels like a beer connecting places and people. Now I seriously want a glass.
Hop BroThat’s the point. Once you know the story behind it, it becomes something you want right now, and if a fresh Oni Genbei Pale Ale lands in front of us, the toasts won’t stop.
In an Instagram post, Nagano Minamikaze Beer reported that it received brewing water from Hinohara Village in Tokyo. The shipment consisted of 25 boxes at 20 liters each, for a total of 500 liters. The water arrived while the team was preparing for the next day’s brew, and it was added to the brewing tanks one box at a time.
The beer being brewed is 'Kigenbei,' a pale ale linked to Hinohara Village. The post notes that previous batches turned out very well, suggesting this is an established beer in the brewery’s lineup rather than a one-off experiment. Using village water in the process highlights one of craft beer’s defining features: the character of a beer can be shaped by the place it comes from.
Nagano Minamikaze Beer is a brewpub in Shinden-cho, Nagano City. According to its official website, the business moved to its current location in December 2021 and obtained its brewing license in April 2022. It is located about an 8-minute walk from Nagano Station, and guests can sit at the counter and watch the brewing tanks while enjoying fresh beer. The brewery says it aims to work with local people and use Shinshu agricultural ingredients to help build craft beer culture in Nagano City.
This update is less about a flashy launch than about process and place. Still, that is often where craft beer becomes most interesting: in the water, the collaboration, and the small choices that give a beer its identity. 'Kigenbei' brewed with Hinohara Village water fits that idea well.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroI’ve got a fun one today: beer brewed with water from Hinohara Village. Nagano Minamikaze Beer is making the pale ale called Oni Genbei.
MugiWait, what! Shipping water from Tokyo to Nagano for beer? That’s actually a thing!?
Hop BroIt is, yeah. This time they received 500 liters of brewing water from Hinohara in Tokyo, packed as 25 boxes of 20 liters, and poured them into the tank one by one.
MugiHold on, what is brewing water exactly? They’re not saving it just for drinking, right? It all goes into the beer?
Hop BroExactly. Brewing water is basically the beer’s framework. It helps with converting the malt and supports fermentation, so changing the water changes the whole outline of the flavor.
MugiNo way! I thought water was just backstage, but it’s doing main-character-level work. Someone put it at the top of the credits!
Hop BroAnd the beer they’re brewing is Hinohara Village’s craft beer, Oni Genbei Pale Ale. Their post says the last two batches turned out great too, so this looks like an ongoing release.
MugiWhat even is that! Pale ale sounds like some hop wizard spell when you say it like that. What does it taste like?
Hop BroNo need to overthink it. Pale ale is a friendly, approachable style with a nice balance of aroma and drinkability, and it can show off differences in local water really well.
Hop BroNagano Minamikaze Beer is a brewpub in Shintamachi, Nagano City. They moved there in December 2021, got their brewing license in April 2022, and it’s an 8-minute walk from Nagano Station.
MugiThat’s so cool! Using Shinshu ingredients while teaming up with Hinohara really feels like a beer connecting places and people. Now I seriously want a glass.
Hop BroThat’s the point. Once you know the story behind it, it becomes something you want right now, and if a fresh Oni Genbei Pale Ale lands in front of us, the toasts won’t stop.
