Cotama Brewery

Cotama Brewery is a husband-and-wife brewery in Honmachi, Takasaki, and its backstory is great. Brewmaster Ryosuke Muto is from Gifu, entered the beer industry in his late 20s, and spent a total of 10 years training at breweries in Gunma, Gifu, and Nagano.

Yui is from Shimonita in Gunma and was already a craft beer fan. She met Ryosuke six years ago when she visited a brewery in Gifu. They’re a couple brought together by beer.

They decided to strike out on their own in Yui’s hometown of Gunma and moved to Takasaki in 2021. They acquired a vacant house in Honmachi and renovated it into a brewery. Brewing started in December 2023, and the taproom opened in March 2024.

It’s the name of a cat that was beloved by everyone in the neighborhood. It carries the wish that the brewery will be loved by the community and become part of it. The first floor has a standing counter, the second floor has table seating, and draft beer is sold by volume at 2.2 yen per ml.

Ryosuke’s philosophy is to make beer that still tastes good when it’s warm, the kind you can drink again and again. He values malt depth, and the lineup rotates through around six styles, including pale ale, porter, and lager. He also wants to try real ale. They’ve released strong seasonal beers too, like their anniversary porter.

They also started selling original canned beer during the 2nd anniversary week. They took part in CRAFT BEER HOUSE Takasaki in March too, so they’re truly becoming a force leading Takasaki’s beer scene.