Nasu Kogen Beer

Nasu Kogen Beer was founded in 1996, making it one of the first-generation breweries that emerged right after local beer was deregulated, and the background of its founder, Takashi Koyamada, is really interesting.

He originally ran a furniture shop. But when he learned that legal changes to liquor tax laws meant individuals could brew beer too, he immediately toured breweries in Germany to research them, took brewing training in Hungary, and eventually studied under Bawa Demyako, the brewer behind Echigo Beer, Japan's first local beer.

All of their beers use ultra-soft water pumped from 100 meters underground, sourced from the melting snow of the Nasu mountain range, and every single one is unfiltered. The live yeast remains in the beer.

First is "Ai," a soft lager. It was brewed in 2001 to commemorate the birth of Princess Aiko, and it was once supplied to the Imperial Household Agency.

Their awards are impressive too: they won gold at the World Beer Cup 2016, and their Weizen took bronze at the International Beer Cup. Their stout has won gold at international competitions in the U.S., Germany, and the U.K. In total, they have more than 10 international competition awards.

Another beer you can't miss is "Nine-Tailed Fox." It's a long-aged vintage ale at 11% alcohol, named after the Nasu legend of the nine-tailed fox. It has a depth that's almost like wine. They also make a strawberry ale using Tochigi-grown Tochiotome strawberries, and they're really skilled at using local ingredients.