Kameido Beer
- Address
- Koto Ward, Tokyo, 3-4-11 Kameido
- Area
- Tokyo Koto Ward
What kind of brewery is Kameido Beer?
Hop BroKameido Beer is a microbrewery where British brewer John Hilliard handles every step himself.
MugiAlone!? From milling the grain to bottling?
Hop BroThat's right. He even installed the brewing equipment and did the piping himself. He's from Manchester, moved to Los Angeles in 1987, and kept homebrewing in California for 15 years.
MugiFifteen years of homebrewing!? So he was brewing in a garage?
Hop BroExactly, in his home garage in LA. And because his wife, Atsuko Muraki, is Japanese, he came to Japan in 2018 and opened the brewery near Kameido Tenjin in 2020.
MugiNice that it's near Kameido Tenjin. Do the beer names relate to the local area too?
Hop BroVery much so. The flagship Tenjin IPA comes from Kameido Tenjin, Suijin Pale Ale from Suijin Shrine, and Cloudy Katori from Katori Shrine. All of them are named after local shrines. And these three won silver and bronze at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2021.
MugiWhat! They won an award the year after opening!? And using shrine names really shows respect for the area!
Hop BroTenjin IPA is an American IPA made with Columbus, Cascade, and Mosaic hops, with pineapple and citrus aromas. Cloudy Katori is a New England-style hazy IPA and juicy. Suijin Pale Ale is a hop-light beer that lets you enjoy the malt richness. The combination of German malt and American hops is interesting, too.
MugiI'd want to try all three! It's only open on weekends, right?
Hop BroFriday evenings and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only. On weekdays he focuses almost entirely on brewing. Because the opening days are limited, going there feels extra special. Beer after a visit to Kameido Tenjin is the best plan.
MugiThe fact that a British brewer makes shrine-inspired beer in Kameido and wins awards is kind of moving. I'm definitely going!
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