Obina Brewing

Do you know Obina Brewing in Kofu? It's a brewery built by an American university professor from Portland, Dave Proucha, who cleared and developed his own hop fields.

He teaches English and green business at Keio University and Takushoku University, and in the mountain area of Obina in Kofu, he cleared four hop fields. He grows 22 hop varieties, mostly American hops from Oregon and Washington.

And because they are homegrown, they can be used in brewing just a few days after harvest. They make a Czech-style pilsner called Kofu Pilsner, and the combination of spring water from Shosenkyo and freshly harvested hops is as fresh as it gets.

They also make a double IPA called The Comm 4, Velvet Cherry Stout, and Pineapple IPA, all full of American craft brewing playfulness. Andy from Seattle brews with them too, so it's a completely family-run American brewery.

The brewery is in the mountains of Obina, and you can drink there on weekends in a second-floor cafe that was a former atelier renovated by hand. There's also a direct-run bar called Obina Ale House near Kofu Station, with 11 taps. Dave built both his house and the brewery entirely with his own hands.