Horyuzan Brewery

Address
Kanagawa Prefecture, 4-16-3 Kurihama, Yokosuka City
Area
Kanagawa Prefecture Yokosuka City

What kind of brewery is Horyuzan Brewery?

hop excitedHop Bro

Did you know there’s a brewery in Kurihama, Yokosuka, where a Buddhist priest makes beer? It’s called Horyuzan Beer.

mugi surprisedMugi

Wait, a priest!? Beer at a temple!?

hop normalHop Bro

The brewer, Yohei Todo, is a priest in the Jodo Shinshu Otani-ha school, and his family temple is Horyuzan Saiko-ji, which was founded in 729. But his background is incredible too: in high school he wanted to become a cook or bartender, then after graduating from brewing school he spent three years at a winery in Hokkaido, made sake in Wakayama, ran a restaurant, and started brewing beer in 2021.

mugi surprisedMugi

What!? Wine and sake before beer!? It feels like this crazy detour somehow all connects!

hop proudHop Bro

And the flagship lineup is intense too. It’s the "Yuigadokuson" series, taken from a saying of the Buddha, and there are four varieties, one for each character: "Yui", "Ga", "Doku", and "Son".

mugi confusedMugi

Wait, one character each!? How are they different?

hop excitedHop Bro

"Yui" is a saison, fermented at a warm 34°C, with a spicy aftertaste. "Ga" is an IPA where the bitterness of hops and the toasty aroma of malt are richly balanced. "Doku" is a stout with coffee-like roasted notes. "Son" is a pale ale with a sweet pear-like aroma blended with citrus.

mugi happyMugi

I want to drink them all...! The names are easy to remember too, and doing a four-way tasting to complete the Buddha’s teaching is amazing!

hop thinkingHop Bro

Another highlight is that they use "Hashirimizu," one of Japan’s 100 Famous Waters, for the brewing water. For limited-edition beers, they also use local plums and mandarin oranges. Also, Todo himself lives with a developmental disability, and he aims to create a workplace where people with disabilities can work. He even built the interior and counter himself.

mugi movedMugi

He built even the interior himself...! It’s not just the beer-making, he’s building both the place and the people with his own hands.

hop normalHop Bro

It’s in the Kurihama shopping street, just a 2-minute walk from Keikyu Kurihama Station. They also appear at the Kawasaki Beer Festival, and their beers are available as hometown-tax return gifts, so ordering some before you go is a good idea.

mugi excitedMugi

I’ve never heard of a fusion between temple history and modern craft beer! Now I have a reason to go to Kurihama!

Signature beers: Yui (Saison)Ga (IPA)Doku (Stout)Son (Pale Ale)

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