And Beer

What kind of brewery is And Beer?

hop excitedHop Bro

And Beer Katsunuma Brewery has been doing some really interesting things lately. It originally started in 2018 as a brewpub in Koenji, Tokyo, but at the end of 2024 it consolidated all of its brewing operations in Katsunuma, Yamanashi.

mugi surprisedMugi

Wait, they moved from Tokyo to Yamanashi? Why would they do that?

hop normalHop Bro

Well, it’s run by owner brewer Yuriko Ando and company representative Koji Ando, a married couple, and the trigger was their encounter with barrel-aged beer in Portland. Katsunuma is in Koshu City, where there are 45 wineries, so wine barrels are easy to get. That led them to launch ROUND TRIP, a brand specializing in barrel-aged beers.

mugi surprisedMugi

What? They age beer in wine barrels?

hop proudHop Bro

Exactly. For example, a saison called "Wonder Wanderer" is aged for 16 months in a Muscat Bailey A barrel from Kurambon Wine. It’s the kind of beer you’d drink slowly from a wine glass.

mugi happyMugi

Wow! So it’s a beer made possible because this is a wine region. By the way, what are their regular beers like?

hop excitedHop Bro

What’s interesting is that they deliberately don’t have fixed flagship beers. They release new creations almost every week. They get ingredients from producers all over Japan, from fruit and vegetables to seafood, and use them as adjuncts. Recently they’ve made things like an oyster stout using oysters from Kesennuma, and "Nahual," a Mexican Dark Lager inspired by a trip to Mexico.

mugi surprisedMugi

An oyster stout!? A Mexican Dark Lager!? They’re really pushing it!

hop normalHop Bro

Koji even created a system called "wandering leave," and he went to Mexico to train in taco making, while staff members train with farmers and hunters. The concept is beer born from travel.

mugi movedMugi

Wandering leave!? That’s an incredible company. Beer that comes straight out of travel sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

hop happyHop Bro

And they also make a point of working with local ingredients, like "Weizen Fermenting," which uses raw wheat from Yamanashi. With 11 fermentation tanks running, it’s a small brewery but one with a very aggressive spirit.

mugi excitedMugi

Barrel-aged beer in a wine region, new releases every week, beer that travels... I want to know everything! I’d love to visit the taproom in Katsunuma!

Signature beers: Wonder WandererNahualKesennuma Oyster StoutWeizen FermentingTropical Night IPA

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