Sakazuki Brewing

Speaking of Sakazuki Brewing, it's a brewery pub tucked away in an alley in Kitasenju, and the owner and head brewer, Naoko Kanayama, is amazing.

That's right. She used to work at Asahi Breweries for nine years. The first four years were spent in brewing management at the factory, and the latter five in the research lab working on new product development and brewing technology. She studied microbiology in graduate school at Tohoku University, so her control over yeast is no joke.

According to her, big companies require you to fit the company's standards, and when she entered her 30s, she wanted to create a workplace that reflected her own vision. So she opened in Kitasenju in 2016.

Exactly. She says that hearing people smile and say something is delicious right in front of her gives her energy, and that feedback, which she never had in her manufacturer days, is her biggest motivation. As for the beer, flagship offerings like Fūgetsu Pale Ale and Tsuki no Sakazuki Weizen are all about balance, with the motto that anyone can enjoy them easily.

They do. Tayutai, an Imperial IPA, has 8.9% alcohol and delivers an impressive hop richness, followed by a crisp finish with refreshing brightness. They also brew things like Karatachi no Hana, a herb ale made with Earl Grey tea leaves, and Secret Base, a summer-only beer made with mugwort. Since opening, they've experimented with about 50 different kinds.

What's more, they celebrated their 10th anniversary and even held a commemorative event with 17 beers on tap. The first floor is a taproom where you can see the brewery, and the second floor is a restaurant where you can pair the beers with charcoal-grilled dishes. Her husband also used to work for a beer manufacturer and helps with brewing, so it's a husband-and-wife brewery team.