Galapago Racing

Galapago Racing in Kaisei Town has a great origin story: it takes its name from the Galapagos land tortoise, one of the longest-living creatures on land, and carries the wish that people will stay healthy and live long through beer and food.

They actually have a live tortoise at the shop. It sounds like they also have connections through the tortoise community, and it has become a symbol of the place.

Their signature beer is the Saison. It’s brewed with domestic wheat and Saaz hops, and Saison yeast can be tricky to handle, but brewmaster Kazutaka Nagayama has turned it into an elegant, clean beer with gentle bitterness. A pint for 640 yen is a nice bonus too.

He studied at a culinary school and earned sommelier certification while working the floor at a famous French restaurant. He had no brewing experience, but before the opening he visited many breweries, learned directly from brewers, and taught himself the craft. He says it’s 'a brewery made from the opinions of 100 people.'

They’ve also released a new Farmhouse IPA using New Zealand hops, built on the Saison lineage with a banana-like aroma layered in. Another interesting idea is raising turnover with a direct-fired kettle and six small tanks, then increasing the number of brews to build up experience.

They use deep groundwater pumped from 80 meters below the surface. They also make seasonal beers like a Saison brewed with local Nanko plums. It’s a 10-minute walk from Kaisei Station on the Odakyu Line, and from the second-floor terrace you can see the mountains while enjoying beer with Italian food. It’s so woven into the neighborhood that locals even stop by after a bath with their own glass for takeout.