OH!LA!HO BEER

Oh! La! Ho Beer started in Tomi City in 1996, and the origin of the name is great too. In the local dialect, "Oh! La! Ho" means "we."

The head brewer, Taku Yamakoshi, is interesting too. He says, "Making beer is like being in a band!" He brews with the sense that malt, hops, and yeast each play their part so the whole thing can create the best groove.

And their flagship beer, "Captain Crow," is impressive. It's an extra pale ale that uses more than twice the usual amount of aroma hops. When you drink it, a strong bitterness hits first, then citrus aromas burst out from the second sip onward. It won a gold medal at the World Beer Awards 2017.

It's a bitterness that hop lovers will adore. Another signature beer is "Raiden Kannuki IPA." At 6% ABV and 63 IBU, tropical aromas spread throughout your mouth. The name comes from the forbidden sumo technique "kannuki" associated with Raiden Tameemon, a legendary Edo-period rikishi from Tomi City.

It was such a powerful technique that it was banned. The name expresses that this IPA packs that much punch. It also won a bronze medal at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2019.

They've been growing their own since 2010. Tomi City has long hours of sunshine, little rain, and well-drained soil, and it was actually a major hop-growing region until around 1965. It's a project that seems to dig up the memory of the land itself. They also keep releasing seasonal limited beers, like a spring white ale, a kiwi sour ale, and a winter porter.