Let's Beer Works

Let's Beer Works in Higashi-Jujo started as a brewery founded by six friends who met at a beer study group.

And on top of that, they all have day jobs, so they only brew on weekends. They're open only on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They even DIY-renovated an old sash factory themselves. Apparently, they stayed up all night painting the huge logo on the wall together by hand.

What's interesting is that the three brewers each have completely different personalities. The head brewer, TIM, used to be a phantom brewer and is also a graphic designer, and he creates all the labels himself. He's especially good at sour ales. Hiroyuki Agawa has a craftsman's mindset and loves stout. Mr. Aoyagi is the theory-driven type who studied at the Brewers Guild in the U.S., and he also runs a separate beer bar in Shinjuku.

Exactly. Regulars apparently have their favorite brewer. One recent release was an American IPA called "Meow." It builds its backbone with classic C hops like Columbus, Cascade, and Centennial, then dry-hops with Citra and Simcoe. The grapefruit-like juiciness is irresistible.

You should also check out "Southbound IPA," which leans into New Zealand hops. The grape-like character of Nelson Sauvin combines with Rakau's apricot and peach notes, and it's described like a wind blowing through a Southern Hemisphere orchard. It sold out immediately, though.

At the International Beer Cup 2023, "It Gose Red" won silver and "Aotearoa" won bronze. They were also apparently the first microbrewery in the 23 wards to introduce a dissolved oxygen meter for can-beer quality control. They opened during the COVID pandemic in 2020, and when times were tough they sold beer outside; local people lined up for it, and that's how their bond with the neighborhood deepened.