Yorocco Beer Iwase Brewery

Yorocco Beer is a nano brewery in Iwase, Kamakura, and the background of its representative, Akio Yoshise, is interesting. He originally handled food at a dining bar in Enoshima.

The turning point was meeting Baird Beer in Numazu, Shizuoka. They had IPA, brown ale, and porter on the lineup, and he was shocked that such beers were being made by a small group. In 2007, he quit and set off on a journey around breweries all over Japan.

He trained at a microbrewery in Tochigi, and opened in 2012. What pushed him was the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake; he strongly felt that if there were no local companies or manufacturers, nothing would remain. That's why the name "Yorocco" comes from "joy." He wants to spread the circle of joy that comes from brewing locally and drinking locally.

In practice, it's very community-rooted. Based on American hops, they also use hops grown in Kamakura and Hayama, and make 30 to 40 varieties a year by taking advantage of seasonal local fruits and spices. Recently they've released "Natsumikan Saison," made with summer oranges grown in the mountains of Hayama, and "Liberation Pils," a German pilsner made with organic malt.

What's more, the spent grain and hops from production are taken to a local landscaping company and turned into compost. The byproducts of beer return to the region's soil, creating a cycle. They also shared space with the Kamakura bakery "Paradise Alley" to run a place called "BREAD & BEER," and now they have a pub called Sasameza.

Because it's beer that isn't heat-treated or filtered, and arrives with live yeast. Unless you're at a restaurant in the Kamakura-Zushi area or at the brewery itself, it's hard to get. Including that rarity, it's a brewery worth the trip.