Beer Smile

Beer Smile is a brewpub in Isesaki, but the career of Etsuo Inoue here is seriously interesting.

He originally spent 30 years in the world of precision die components. In 1990, he founded Inoue Seimitsu Kogyo himself and has worked all along as a master of precision grinding.

But at the core, it's the same kind of "craftsman who makes things." He even designs and builds his own brewing equipment. His precision machining skills are put to use directly.

When the 1994 revision of the Liquor Tax Act opened the door to small-scale brewing, he became interested, and in 2018 he began acting in earnest. He trained at Jazz Brewing Fujino in Kanagawa, obtained a production license in 2019, and opened a reservation-only brewpub with six taps at the counter.

The lineup is also rich and varied, spanning from "BEER DRAW FIRST IPA" to the red ale "DEEEPER SPECIAL I" and "Deeeper Pilsner." The ingredients are German malt, and hops from England, the U.S., New Zealand, and Germany, while the brewing water comes from Maebashi.

Right, it's like you keep sinking deeper and deeper into it. The red ale is said to have a strong bitterness that comes through beneath a grainy, toasty aroma and a smooth mouthfeel. I think the micron-level sense he developed in precision machining comes through in how he balances the beer too.