Daikumachi Brewery

Daikumachi Brewery, officially MitoBrewing. It's a pretty unusual brewery, because they built a brewery right on the grounds of "Nuriya," an eel restaurant in the heart of downtown Mito.

Nuriya is a long-established eel kappo founded in the late Meiji era, and it was started by the young master. The trigger was the Great East Japan Earthquake. After being affected by the disaster, he apparently felt he wanted to give real substance to the style of an eel restaurant. So instead of just serving food, they decided to brew their own alcohol too. Focusing on Mito's high-quality water, they began brewing in 2023.

What's interesting is that their concept is not about what style it is, but whether it pairs well with Japanese cuisine centered on eel. They say they bring out the ingredient's natural flavor, "like drawing dashi," without using flavorings or preservatives. Because they brew with soft water, it also comes out mellow.

Their flagship beers, "Shikkari Pale Ale" and "Tororin Hazy IPA," both won bronze medals at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2024. The names are great too - "Tororin" brings to mind that melting eel texture.

They also have a taproom on the premises, so you can make a perfect course out of eating eel at Nuriya and then heading straight to the taproom for beer. It's a small brewery, but precisely because of that, each glass carries the sensibility of a chef.