Spicy Brothers

There's a brewery called Spicy Brothers in Murakami City, Niigata, and get this: its parent company is a propane gas company.

It's a local LP gas company called Kanedai Kawasaki Shoten, founded in 1967. With the population decline, demand for gas has been falling too, so they entered craft beer as a new business beyond their core service area.

They renovated a former freight company's warehouse and office to create a brewery with an attached pub. In an interview with the Niigata Nippo, they said they were aiming for a "sharp" flavor, and they're actually releasing beers like a Hazy Ale called Camp #1.

They make everything from Hazy Ale to Milk Stout, and that range is great. The outdoor-style naming theme is stylish too.

Murakami City is famous for salmon and sake, but it's still an area with very little craft beer, so a gas company renovating a warehouse and entering the market there feels like a new kind of local challenge.