Ugo Bakushu

Do you know Ugo Bakushu? It's a brewery in Ugo Town, Akita, renovated from an old miso warehouse that's about 70 to 80 years old.

Exactly. In Ugo Town, families have a tradition of making their own miso, and that warehouse was where it was stored. The founder, Takahiro Suzuki, originally made leather goods as part of the family business.

Actually, Ugo Town lost its last sake brewery in 1989, and the town's drinking culture had faded away. Suzuki wanted to bring that culture back to the town, so he focused on beer, which takes less time to master than sake or wine. And the idea that he could travel the world under the banner of beer is pretty interesting, too.

Their motto is 'Beer is for Fun!', and their hallmark is a gentle flavor that's easy to drink even for people who don't usually like beer. Their flagship labels include the Golden Ale 'GA001', the Pale Ale 'PA001', and the Belgian White 'BW001'. Managing them by number is pretty unique, isn't it?

They do. They make a strawberry ale using strawberries from Ugo Town, 'Haru Kitaru' brewed with butterbur sprouts, and even beers with edible chrysanthemum, Japanese star anise, and Akita's sake rice variety 'Kamenoo'. Since starting operations in 2017, they've brewed more than 40 varieties.

A townwide sake-culture revival project that started in a small miso warehouse. This is beer with the taste of Ugo Town, something the big players could never make.