Funabashi Beer Brewery

Let me tell you about Funabashi Beer Brewery. Its former brewing manager, Jun Matsui, originally ran an IT company and also organized craft beer events, but his motivation was refreshingly honest: he wanted to drink beer to his fill at cost.

Pretty great, right? Then in 2018, he opened it as a brewpub right near Nishifunabashi Station. It was backed by Yamasho, a local group that runs restaurants in the area, and the idea was to root craft beer in Funabashi's food culture.

It’s called "Funabashi Ale," an American pale ale. It uses three kinds of hops and is known for its bright aroma and firm bitterness. The name also plays on the idea of sending an "ale" or cheer to the people working hard in Funabashi.

Another interesting one is "Funabashi Black." It’s a stout, but it uses honbinosu clams, a specialty of Funabashi, as an adjunct. The clam stock gives it depth and a rich aroma, but the finish stays crisp.

They also experiment with all kinds of adjuncts like seaweed, sansho pepper, and chocolate. Each batch is about 75 liters, or roughly 200 cups, so it’s ultra-small-scale production, which means you can discover a new flavor every time you visit. They also use five to ten times as much hops as major breweries.

Right now, brewing is handled by Honami Aoki, who picks up ideas from conversations with customers and turns them into beer. A brewpub where you can say, "Make something like this next" across the counter is the best, isn't it?