Inkhorn Brewing

Inkhorn Brewing is one of the breweries in Tokyo I'm paying the most attention to right now.

The owner-brewer, Shun Nakade, spent his student years in the U.S., and when he came back to Japan, he felt that there wasn't any beer here he really wanted to drink. That became the starting point. He gained hands-on experience at several breweries in the 2010s, then launched his own brewery in 2020.

What's more, they don't keep a regular core lineup here. They go to market with a different recipe every time. Every beer name is a bird name too: Java Finch, Gouldian, Chickadee Salvo, Fantail, LOVEBIRDS, Osprey... even the can labels are unified with bird artwork, and it's beautiful.

The Java Finch series is an American IPA built around Citra and Krush hops, with bright citrus, resinous notes, and a dry finish. Gouldian is a 7.0% West Coast IPA centered on Citra. They switch up the malts too, using Golden Promise, Pilsner, and Vienna in different combinations, so the design philosophy changes every time.

The tasting room is a glass-front space along Mejiro-dori, with accordion doors that open all the way. It has the openness of a West Coast brewery in the U.S. It's a minimalist standing-bar setup, and you can see the brewing equipment through the windows.

Exactly. And another interesting thing is that they also work on sustainable initiatives that upcycle brewery waste. They're thinking beyond just making beer. They also hold regular food pop-up events, and have even collaborated with L&B Sandwiches.