Tengu Brewery

Tengu Brewery is a brewery founded by Kenichi Ogome, who has run restaurants in Maebashi for more than 20 years. He started it after thinking, from his izakaya "Kochan," his yakiniku restaurant, and his ramen shop as an industry professional, "I want to brew the beer served in my own shop myself."

What’s more, he trained at Vector Brewing in Asakusabashi, Tokyo. He learned about the free-spirited, playful craft beer style of the United States. And the person in charge of the brewing floor is Esatroy Daniels from North Carolina, USA.

Daniels applied from Hawaii via Instagram. He also moved there because his wife’s family was in Maebashi. It’s an interesting setup, with American-trained skills coming into a regional Japanese city.

Their core lineup is three beers: Hazy IPA, Sour Ale, and Saezuri Lager. All of them are kept at 5% ABV or lower, and the concept is to make craft beer more approachable. The Hazy IPA is fruity with restrained bitterness, and the Sour Ale has lactic acidity that pairs especially well with fried foods.

And that’s not all. They won a silver medal in the ESB category at the International Beer Cup 2024 with a beer called "Totono Ale." Winning an international competition with a beer launched just a little over a year after opening is impressive.

They also make Belgian IPA, aiming to layer spice and a punkish personality onto Belgian tradition. They’re planning a beer made with apples from Gunma Prefecture, and they’re also working on brewing with hops grown in Maebashi’s downtown area.