Haneda Brewery

Haneda Brewery, formally known as Haneda Beer Co., Ltd. The background of its representative, Yuichiro Suzuki, is also fascinating. He graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture with a degree in Brewing Science.

No, after graduating he joined a food plant manufacturing company, where he helped launch a major craft beer factory and worked on brewing equipment design. In other words, he was a pro on the "building the beer factory" side.

What's more, he's ridiculously into DIY. He built almost his entire brewery himself, from the walls and brewing tanks to the piping. He obtained his license in December 2014 and started brewing with a small 150-liter-per-batch setup.

At first, he focused exclusively on OEM work - that is, contract brewing for beer pubs that don't have brewing licenses, making their original beers for them. His own brand came later.

They have six core beers. The Pale Ale has a bright citrus aroma from Cascade hops and a solid bitterness at IBU 37. The IPA is ABV 6.5% and IBU 54, with a strong hop aroma and bitterness. The Session IPA keeps the ABV to 4.5% while holding the IBU at 54, and it has a fresh, white-grape-like finish, which is a clever touch.

Also, the Porter is light at ABV 4.5% and IBU 14, yet it has a substantial body and a molasses-like flavor. And since 2020 they've also been making craft gin, using botanical ingredients from Tokyo's forest resources. It's an initiative with forest and watershed conservation in mind.

They chose the name "Haneda" because they wanted to energize Ota Ward by borrowing the international recognition of Haneda Airport. Their directly operated "Haneda Bar" is in Nishi-Kamata, and you can drink all of their house-made ale-style beers there.