Kunitachi Brewery

Kunitachi Brewery, nicknamed "Kuniburu." It was launched in 2020 by the long-established liquor store Sekiya, which has been around for over 100 years.

The head brewer, Katsuyuki Shiwa, originally came from the music world. He became interested in fermentation, learned brewing at a brewery in Shizuoka, and then joined Sekiya. The shift from music to brewing is fascinating, isn't it?

Their brewing philosophy is "The old is new." The year 2020 was also when the restored Kunitachi Station building, originally built in the Taisho era, returned, and they poured that same spirit into their beer. Their flagship beer, "1926," is named after the year Kunitachi Station was completed, and its style is Koelsch.

Right, the traditional style from Cologne. At 4.5% ABV, it features aromas of green apple, lemon, white grape, and herbs. It won gold at the 2024 International Beer Cup.

And there’s more: Kuniburu is the first brewery in Japan to take on Raw Ale. It uses an ancient Northern European method that doesn't boil the wort, so the grain-derived aromas remain intact. They’ve incorporated a technique revived by researcher Lars Marius Garshol.

The equipment is interesting too, with two lines: a standard 1,000 L line and an experimental 200 L line. They also make a Hazy IPA called "Crucible Hazy" and a session Hazy IPA called "The World Is Like a Flickering Mosaic Pattern."