Nobara Homestead Brewery

Even the name Nobara Homestead Brewery has a great atmosphere. It is a farmhouse brewery in Aoki Village, Nagano, at 650 meters above sea level in the satoyama hills.

Exactly. It is run by the married couple Keisuke Nakamura and Reiko, and both originally worked in design in Tokyo. Keisuke worked for a design company, while Reiko handled event direction and branding. Their shared love of drinking culture led them to move to Aoki Village in 2021 and start the brewery.

After moving, Keisuke also earned a permaculture designer qualification, and the brewery is rooted in the idea of making beer while living in coexistence with nature. The tasting room was repurposed from a former stable that already existed on the property.

They focus mainly on saison-style beers. Their flagship is a saison called Barbizon, which uses German organic malt as well as spelt wheat organically grown without pesticides in Omi Village, Nagano. It is based on the concept of a beer that prays for a bountiful harvest, and it has a deep grain character.

CHLOE, WILLOW, Mori no CODA, Utakata, Komorebi, Plano, and more. The naming sense really feels like it comes from designers. They also make a sour saison using locally grown organically cultivated green plums, making the most of seasonal ingredients as they are. In addition to European hops, they also use hops they grow themselves, aiming to gradually become more self-sufficient in raw materials.

That was a limited assortment with two bottles each of CHLOE, WILLOW, and Barbizon. They also collaborated with the wood-fired dining spot song and Gio Hills Winery to make a sparkling beer using Chardonnay pomace. That kind of crossover between winery and brewery is so distinctive to Nagano.