Otaru Wine Gallery

Mugi, did you know there’s a place in Otaru where a winery makes beer?

There’s a winery called Hokkaido Wine, founded in 1974, and at its Otaru Kenashiyama plant, they also brew craft beer. The brand name is "Otaru Winery Beer." They’ve been making it since 1997.

It is. It’s the real deal, made by a brewer who trained in Austria. No adjuncts, 100% malt, unpasteurized and unfiltered, so the yeast is alive. The brewing water is natural groundwater from Mount Kenashi. They make it faithfully using traditional German methods.

The three main ones are Helles, Weizen, and Märzen. And the interesting one is "Angel's Drop Niagara." That one is uniquely winery-style: a fruit beer made by adding juice from Niagara grapes, the same variety used in their own wine, "Otaru Niagara."

Exactly. Weizen is a white beer with a banana-like aroma, and Helles is the type that keeps hop bitterness low so you can enjoy the malt character. If someone doesn’t usually like beer, I’d recommend Angel's Drop first.