Gangi Brewing

Gangi Brewing has such an amazing origin story. Brewer Takuto Watanuki actually used to hate beer.

Exactly. He tasted a Belgian White and was shocked by how diverse beer could be, and from there he got completely hooked. After spending five years as the manager of a live bar in his hometown of Joetsu, he trained for about three years at Octagon Brewing in Shizuoka. His mentor was Yasuhiro Chiba, who earned the Diplom Braumeister qualification in Germany.

His partner, company president Masahiro Miyamoto, is originally from Kyoto and moved to Joetsu because of his love for snowboarding. He met Watanuki during their training days in Hamamatsu, and they clicked right away.

It comes from the traditional "gangi" architecture of snow country Joetsu. It refers to a wooden arcade that shields people from snow, and it carries the wish to share the region's culture. The brewery is in a renovated former car dealership about a 10-minute walk from Joetsu Myoko Station, and each brew is 1,000 liters.

Speaking of beer, their recently released Session IPA, "ZESTER," is a light 4.0% ABV beer with a design that still delivers a strong aroma through dry hopping. And their collaboration with Pizzer Citraba, "SREEP," goes bold with an English style made with domestic lemon and Ceylon tea leaves.

Watanuki's philosophy is to thoroughly eliminate off-flavors and draw out the natural taste of the ingredients. Because he sticks to the basics, special twists like the Sansho Wheat IPA "NEW CHAPTER" really stand out.