Yokosuka Beer

Yokosuka Beer has a story behind it that’s really powerful, starting with the owner, Mr. Shimozawa. He originally started a restaurant in Oppama, then expanded successfully with multiple locations in Yokohama, but on the milestone of the company’s 20th year, he came back to his hometown of Yokosuka.

Exactly. He said, 'The ingredients from the Miura Peninsula helped build us up this far, so now I want to give back by making beer as a producer and energize Yokosuka.' It’s a brewery built as an act of gratitude.

And the beer they actually make is impressive too. Their flagship, 'Sarushima Beer,' is a session IPA made in collaboration with Sarushima, the uninhabited island off Yokosuka, and it won gold at the International Beer Cup 2020.

What’s even more interesting is 'Kamariya Shiitake Ale.' It’s a brown ale made with shiitake mushrooms from Kamariya, and it won awards two years in a row at the Japan Great Beer Awards. You really don’t see many people coming up with the idea to brew beer with shiitake.

Its roasted aroma and umami blend nicely with the malty character of the brown ale. And 'Hatsuse Mitsumugi Wheat' is a Weizen made with wheat from Hatsuse in Miura, and that one also won gold at JGBA 2019. Some of their beers even use spring water from Hayama for brewing, so it’s really all about local production for local consumption.

The main shop is a red-brick building at the entrance to Dobuita Street, with the brewery on the first floor and the restaurant on the second. There’s also a TAPROOM inside the Port Market, with 15 taps running at all times. It has terrace seating too, so you can drink while feeling the harbor breeze.