Inabiya Chiba Inage Beer

Inabiya Chiba Inage Beer opened in July 2023 as Inage Ward's first brewpub, and what I really like is the owner, Takuhiro Okamura's attitude.

Okamura grew up in Inage, then moved around various places for work before coming back. He started it with the idea of putting locally grown vegetables that farmers can't ship because they don't meet standards into beer. The first release was 'Homare,' made with nonstandard carrots.

You get a subtle sweetness from the carrots. The brewing water is also well water from the property. It creates a mellow mouthfeel, and each batch is just 150 liters, so it's a true micro-scale brewery. You can only drink this beer here.

Small, but strong. 'Inakuro 2024' won gold at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2025, and 'Pumpkin' won silver. Their flagship 'Inage' is a dark style with a toasty roast character, and I like that it bears the local name.

They also actively use seasonal fruit. There are beers like 'Yuzubiscus,' with yuzu and hibiscus; 'Merina,' with rose hip and strawberries; and 'Meteor,' which layers blueberry juice onto a tea base. It feels like they're turning the local seasons straight into beer.

That's right, and they welcome solo drinkers as well as families with children, so it's easy to stop in casually. Mr. Okamura said he wants to connect local people through beer, and that's exactly what this place has become.