HopGear Brewing

HopGear Brewing is a microbrewery launched in Honjo City in 2021, and its biggest hallmark is its commitment to bottle conditioning.

Exactly. Fermentation continues after bottling, so the flavor changes depending on when you open it. Even the same beer can show a different side one week later and one month later.

Their signature beer, "HopGear American IPA," is 7% ABV and uses three hop varieties: Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic. With an IBU of 18, it is milder than it looks, and it’s the kind of beer that lets you really enjoy the hop aroma. They also offer Kolsch and Saison, along with limited releases using seasonal fruit and coffee.

Honjo was actually a post town on the Nakasendo, and during the Edo period it flourished as the largest post town among the sixty-seven stations, a merchant town. They use local Honjo water for brewing.

What’s more, they’re highly conscious of the environment, too: they reuse spent grain, develop beers using organic ingredients, and research gluten-reduced beers. They also actively set up booths at local events; just the other day, they were serving four draft beers at the spring equinox curry & burger festival.