Craft Rock Brewing

This is Craft Rock Brewing's Nihonbashi flagship. It's a brewpub on the first floor of COREDO Muromachi Terrace, and the champion brewery of the Japan Brewers Cup 2024. It came out on top among 130 breweries and 515 entries.

Exactly. The head brewer, Ryo Suzuki, is a fascinating guy too. He discovered craft beer at Gotenba Kogen Beer in Shizuoka during his university days, got hooked, spent two years working as a company employee, and then sharpened his skills as a self-taught brewer at DevilCraft's brewery. He's visited more than 500 breweries around the world.

Suzuki's philosophy is to be a drinker first. He values beers that are flashy but still dry and clean enough to drink glass after glass. The team is also internationally minded, with Wesley Rashleigh, who came from San Francisco's Fort Point Beer Company and Cellarmaker Brewing.

Their flagship, 'Alternative IPA,' has 6% ABV and 95 IBU. It uses 10 to 11 kinds of hops to bring out grapefruit and tropical notes, while keeping the bitterness clean. 'Drink All Day' is a Keller-style beer with 5% ABV, and it's a standout that was refined over two months for clarity. The pricing is smart too: 250 ml slim cans start at 339 yen.

The founder, Toru Tanaka, used to manage a restaurant and is also a musician. The starting point was when he launched Craft Beer Market in 2011, offering all 30 beers at a flat 480 yen because he thought it was strange that craft beer wasn't easy for everyone to enjoy. He also hosts the music festival CRAFTROCK FESTIVAL every year, and it brings together more than 6,000 people.

That's right. If you work more than 150 hours a month, you get a 30,000-yen studio subsidy. They also have a house band, The Local Pints, performing regular live shows in the venue, and all the beer names are based on song titles. 'Ocean Avenue' is a session IPA with 4.5% ABV, featuring a floral hop aroma and a refreshing, sea-breeze-like finish. With 140 seats, it's great for lunch or dinner in Nihonbashi.