Beach Culture Brewing

Mugi-chan, did you know there’s a brewery in Oarai that makes beer right by the sea? Beach Culture Brewing, also known as Beach Culture Brewing.

Exactly. The brewer is Satoshi Kazama, who is from Itako. In his 20s he moved from job to job, but after turning 30 he decided he wanted work he could devote his whole life to, and dove into the world of alcohol.

Right. To save up startup capital, he worked as a large-trailer driver for two years, then trained for four years at Paradise Beer Factory in Kashima to learn brewing techniques. He even gained experience growing barley.

Then in 2021, he opened on the first floor of Oarai Seaside Station, and it’s a great location too. He wanted to bring people back to an area that lost foot traffic after the earthquake and tsunami, and beer is part of that vision.

The theme is "beer you drink while feeling the sea breeze." Their standard Oarai Golden Ale uses Oarai spring water, giving it a mineral-rich, crisp, easy-to-drink character. It’s perfect for sipping by the coast.

They have one called Dried Sweet Potato Lemon White Ale, which combines dried sweet potatoes from Ibaraki with lemons from Hitachinaka. It leaves a gentle tartness in the aftertaste. I like how they turn local Ibaraki specialties into beer. They brew about nine varieties in total, and it looks like they even make a chestnut beer.