Sarukurayama Beer Brewery

Did you know that Rydeen Beer from Sarukurayama Beer Brewery is actually made by Hakkaisan, the sake brewery famous for its Japanese sake Hakkaisan?

In 2018, they built the brewery on a hill in a complex called Uonuma no Sato. There is a beer bar, bakery, and liquor shop on-site, and you can drink freshly brewed beer while overlooking the cityscape of Minamiuonuma.

It comes from the brewing water, "Raiden-sama no Shimizu." It's ultra-soft water that springs from the foot of sacred Mount Hakkai, and as much as 400 tons gush out every day. It was also selected as one of Niigata Prefecture's 100 Famous Waters.

The lineup is broad too, with pilsner, weizen, IPA, pale ale, alt, porter... and the interesting one is "Koji Belgian White." It's a happoshu made with rice koji, and it also includes orange peel and coriander seed.

Exactly. It's the combination of brewing techniques developed through sake and craft beer. Because they use ultra-soft water, the beer has a gentle mouthfeel and a clean finish.

Apparently, monkeys actually show up around the brewery. Fitting, since the name is Sarukura-yama. Uonuma no Sato itself is a nature-rich place at the foot of Mount Hakkai, so you can enjoy the atmosphere of a snowy country along with the beer.