Tazawako Lakeside Forest Beer

Kohan no Mori Beer has a slightly different stance from other craft breweries. Instead of ales, they're betting on lagers.

The brewmaster, Kumiko Sekiguchi, is an interesting person. Back when the local beer boom was taking off, everyone rushed toward ales, but she questioned whether it was right to reject the history of pilsners that Japanese people had been drinking for decades. So she deliberately chose the lager path.

She says, "I trust my own palate, born in Japan and raised in Akita." To make that a reality, they use a rare three-kettle brewing system. Most breweries use two kettles, but they add a third kettle for rice crackers and incorporate Akita-grown rice, Akitakomachi, into the beer.

Their flagship is Tenkei. It's a lager made with Semboku-grown Akitakomachi rice, full-bodied and flavorful yet crisp and easy to drink. It won first place in the National Alcohol Competition. They also make Tenkuu, a balanced all-malt beer with both richness and refreshing character, and Tengai, a rich lager with 40% more malt than usual.

They've won more than 30 awards in the National Alcohol Competition. Their Akita Dog Beer brand also took first place, which is really impressive for a lager brewery.

At the attached restaurant ORAE, you can enjoy it with dishes made from local vegetables delivered straight from the farm. Their policy is that "sake is something brewed by the local climate and culture," so they design the beer with food pairing in mind from the very beginning. I think Tenkei tastes exceptional when you drink it while looking out over Lake Tazawa.