Nasu Garden Brewery

Nasu Garden Brewery has a pretty unique origin. It was founded by professional triathlete Naomi Washizu.

Washizu trains for triathlons based in Nasushiobara, and she realized the area’s environment is similar to Boulder, Colorado. So she launched the "Nasu Boulder Project," an effort to make Nasushiobara as attractive as Boulder, with craft beer brewing as one of its pillars.

It opened inside Nasu Garden Outlet in September 2021, and the brand name is "NASU de SUNA" ("That's Nasu"). The logo includes a cow symbol representing Nasushiobara’s dairy industry and the Nasu Mountains. This is land that produces the most raw milk on Honshu.

And it’s strong in competitions too. At JGBA 2023, the IPA won silver and the pale ale won bronze. At the International Beer Cup 2023, the IPA also won silver. At JGBA 2024, the hazy IPA won bronze. And at JGBA 2026, they took home an amazing 10 awards.

The beers crafted by head brewer Mr. Kawakami are interesting too. "Whey Protein Beer" made with whey from Senbonmatsu Farm, "Coffee Stout" in collaboration with Hitsuji Coffee, and "Strawberry Ale" with CHEESE GARDEN. They keep teaming up with businesses across Nasu.

The standard pale ale is crisp and easy to drink at 5% ABV, while the IPA is 6% ABV with twice the hop load of the pale ale. HIPA is hazy, fruity, and juicy. The balance is great: the standards are easy-drinking, while the limited releases show a more daring craft-beer spirit. They also offer 60 minutes of all-you-can-drink for 2,200 yen for eight varieties.