Northern Brew

Northern Brew is a brewery in Abira Town, and the story of its founder, Kenta Tsubomatsu, is incredible. He is originally from Eniwa, and after earning a master's degree in a chemistry-related field, he worked hard for nine years at a machinery trading company in Kanagawa.

It was the COVID-19 pandemic that triggered it. While his family was evacuating to his parents' villa in Toyako, he realized that even though society had stopped, he alone kept working, and thought, 'What have I been sacrificing my life for all this time?'

Then he moved to Abira Town for his children's education. He fell in love with the educational philosophy of Hayakita Gakuen, a unified elementary and junior high school. From there, he joined the town's startup support program, 'Fanfare Abira Entrepreneurship University,' and with his chemistry background, he moved into beer brewing.

What's more, their flagship 'ABIRA OATS IPA' is amazing. It uses oats grown by farmers in Abira Town, and apparently these farmers are the only commercial growers of brewing oats in Japan.

Exactly. The IPA brewed with those oats has restrained bitterness and a fruity, juicy finish. They also sell 'ABIRA OATS HAZY IPA' in cans, and you can buy it online. They also make seasonal releases like a milk stout brewed with Abira-grown pumpkin, and 'ABIRA NANOHANA IPA,' brewed with yeast collected from rapeseed flowers.

They also have a sports bar attached, and it's a 5-minute walk from JR Hayakita Station. There are 10 counter seats, 10 table seats, and 8 taps. The signature food is the pulled pork cheeseburger. It really fits Abira Town that they're operating in a repurposed temporary building used as a challenge shop after the earthquake.