Crank Brewing

Do you know Crank Brewing in Itabashi? The representative, Hisakatsu Hiraga, used to be a steeplejack. The man who used to build high-rise buildings started making beer.

Hiraga is from Miyagi, and after finishing his steeplejack work, his favorite thing was drinking "okanre beer" with his friends. Then, while making cider and wine at home, he got hooked on American craft beer, and in 2018 he launched a nanobrewery in Itabashi.

Exactly, which is why they can try a different recipe every time. They run six taps, and for example they have a sour porter called "WACKWACK." It uses kettle souring for lactic acid fermentation, with cocoa, vanilla beans, and raspberries added. Even though it's a porter, it has a refreshing tartness and berry character, which makes it a really interesting beer.

They also make an "Amber Lager" in the California Common style, using five kinds of malt and fermenting lager yeast at a warmer temperature. It balances a citrusy aroma with deep richness.

They do. They get pesticide-free vegetables from nearby farmers and use them in their beer, and in return they give the spent grain back to the farmers as fertilizer. They've built a circular relationship like that. They also deliver around northern Tokyo by tuk-tuk.

Yes, Hiraga loves bicycles. The name comes from the crank, the part that transmits pedal rotation, and it reflects the idea of transforming his own passion into beer. They also have an attached taproom called Sakamichi Taproom, and you can see the brewing equipment through the glass, so it's great to sit there with a beer and watch it all.