Hakodate Beer Brewery

Hakodate Beer Brewery, officially called ozigi brewing, has an amazing location. It's in Suehirocho, Hakodate, and they've renovated the 100-year-old former Motohisa Shoten warehouse into a beer bar and brewery. It's a Taisho-era building.

The owner, Mr. Ishigaki, opened it in July 2021 with the idea of revitalizing the area through alcohol. It's about a 5-minute walk from Juijigai Station on the Hakodate City Tram, right in the retro bay-area streetscape. Inside, there are eight aging tanks lined up, and it's a great atmosphere with loft seating too.

What's more, the range of beers they make is incredible, with more than 21 varieties in total. In addition to standard styles like IPA, American Pale Ale, and Weizen, they have an original sudachi beer called "White Sudachi."

Exactly, that's part of ozigi's character. They also release fruit beers seasonally using Hokkaido-grown fruits, like strawberry, peach, and yuzu, and the lineup changes quickly, so there's always something new to discover. For malt, they use ingredients from the UK and Germany, and for hops, in addition to those from the US, UK, and Germany, they also use hops from Atsuma Town in Hokkaido.

Yes, they use local Hakodate water. I like how they combine overseas ingredients with local Hokkaido ingredients to create beer that feels distinctly Hakodate. They make everything from porters to saisons, and it has way more depth than you'd expect from a microbrewery.

They also offer food menu pairings using local ingredients, so you can stroll through the Hakodate bay area and then enjoy a beer in a Taisho-era stone warehouse. That's a new way to enjoy Hakodate.