Jokun Beer Lab

Jokun Beer Lab in Tokamachi is officially called the 'Jokun Liquor Research Institute,' and that name says everything. It combines the 'jo' of brewing and the 'kun' of smoking to make 'Jokun'.

There are two founders. The brewing lead, Takayuki Iwata, was born in Tokamachi in 1987 and originally worked as a registered dietitian. He was involved in developing fermented foods. The other, Keita Higuchi, is also from Tokamachi and went from being a specially appointed assistant professor at the University of Tokyo to a researcher at Preferred Networks.

Iwata was shocked by BrewDog's Punk IPA and received brewing training at Strange Brewing. Higuchi got hooked on craft beer culture while studying in the U.S. and wanted to create a freer beer culture in Japan. I like that they both come from the same place in Tokamachi.

The most popular one is Jokun IPA. It's known for its fruity flavor. Then there's Okesa Nectar IPA, which uses juice from Sado's Okesa persimmon, peach, and mango.

What's more, in the local Kioroshi district, a farmer named Mr. Yamaya grows Magnum hops, and they also make a fresh hop beer with those fresh hops. According to Iwata, it has a 'grass scent and the aroma of fresh vegetables, a flavor for connoisseurs.' They also have HOKU HOKU PaleAle, a collaboration with Hokuetsu Express, and even something called 'music brewing,' where they age it while listening to the sound of trains running.

At the shop, they also serve Iwata's homemade spice curry, and you can drink at a counter with a full view of the brewery. It's a style that's open to the town, where you can also bring in takeout from other shops in Tokamachi's shopping district.