Yonezawa Jacks Brewery

Shuuto Makiyama of Yonezawa Jacks Brewery originally worked as a salaryman at an IT company. After graduating from high school, he got a job at an information technology company in Saitama and lived the ordinary office-worker life.

When he drank beer brewed by his American friend Jackson, he was shocked by the flavor, which was completely different from the beer he had been drinking until then. From there, he aimed to become a brewer, trained at brewpubs in Tokyo, and after seven years opened the brewery in 2018.

Yes. "Yonezawa" comes from the desire for people to learn more about his hometown, and "Jacks" comes from the name of the friend who guided him. It's a brewery standing alone amid the rural scenery in the southern part of Yonezawa City, with no taproom, strictly shipping-only.

At local restaurants and events, and also in the online store. There are four standard beers, and the IPA uses Mosaic and Citra hops. It has a big, tropical, gorgeous aroma. The pale ale is described as having "bitterness and aroma like biting into a tangerine peel whole," and that's spot on.

They're also branching out beyond the prefecture, setting up at events in Okuma, Fukushima, and joining exchange gatherings in Sangenjaya, Tokyo, where people enjoy Yamagata food and drinks. They're also actively releasing limited editions using local ingredients and collaborating with other breweries.