Yggdrasil Brewing

Yggdrasil Brewing in Hiratsuka has an owner, David Gardao, with a wildly unusual background. He is from Brittany, France, and was a former software engineer, as well as a member and promoter of a heavy metal band.

He came to Japan in 1999 and settled in Hiratsuka because it reminded him of Brittany. It has the sea, and it's a port town with fishing and surfing culture. Also, his grandmother ran a cider farm in Brittany, so he already had fermented-drink DNA, so to speak.

After training at breweries in Kanto and in Germany, he opened in 2018. A distinctive feature is its European-leaning brewing style. The flagship beer, "Eurostar IPA," uses British malt and French hops, giving it aromas of citrus, berries, and rose.

Very rare. In an era dominated by American hops, taking on the challenge with French hops is exactly what makes David's style. He also makes a saison called "L'insolent" with French hops, and "Exit Night~Ethiopia Tour~" is a beer made with whole Ethiopian coffee beans.

It's not just beer either; they also have house-made cider and mead made from 100% honey, with eight varieties available at all times. The tap labels are all illustrated by his wife, a Taiwanese illustrator. The shop is full of heavy metal goods, and metal is playing nonstop.

It's a small shop with 6 counter seats and 10 table seats, and you can see the brewing equipment right there. David himself says, "Heavy metal and beer are the ultimate pairing," so for metal fans it may be a kind of holy ground.