Atsugi Beer

Atsugi Beer. This brewery was founded in 1997, making it the first local beer maker in central Kanagawa. It has more than a quarter century of history.

The founder was Sumiko Horie. Her husband was Noriyuki Horie, a prefectural assembly member who devoted himself to regional development, and the brewery's roots are in wanting to energize the local community. And the current CEO is also remarkable: Eitai Sasaki, a former soccer player. He was a goalkeeper.

He says, "Being prepared for unforeseen events is the same as during my days as a goalkeeper," and he brings that same focus to brewing. The biggest feature here is its emphasis on the Belgian lambic style. It's a naturally fermented beer using wild yeast, with a distinctive tartness.

Exactly. It's the traditional Belgian method of fermenting by capturing yeast from the air. They also cultivate their own yeast, and their philosophy is consistent: "The main actor in beer brewing is yeast." The brewing water is spring water pumped from 80 meters underground in the Tanzawa mountain range.

"Tanzawa no Shizuku" is a white ale with low bitterness and a refreshing aroma that rises through the nose as you drink it. "Shiso Ale" is a rare beer worldwide made with locally grown red shiso from Atsugi. "Yuzu Dream" is a fruit beer with a vivid yuzu aroma, and for those who want something bolder, there's a double IPA called "HOP SLAVE."

They have around 15 original beers, and you can drink them at the attached beer bar, Lambic. They have also started a co-creation project to develop beers together with fans by issuing tokens on FiNANCiE, a Web3 platform. It's impressive how a long-established brewery keeps pushing forward.