Hamamatsu Craft Beer Workshop Mein Schloss

Did you know there's a beer-brewing restaurant right in the center of Hamamatsu that looks like a medieval German castle?

It's called "Mein Schloss," and in German it means "my castle." It opened in 1997 as a brewpub, and the building is literally surrounded by castle walls. You pass through the gate into a courtyard with a fountain, and inside it feels just like a German beer hall.

What's interesting is the parent company: the restaurant division of Hamamatsu Warehouse, a logistics company, runs it. The gap between a warehouse company and German-style beer brewing is pretty wild. They brought in professional brewing equipment made by Germany's Bell Plant company.

What's more, they faithfully follow the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, using only four ingredients: malt, hops, water, and yeast. Their standard lineup has four beers - weizen, alt, münchner, and helles - and each one gets its own character by varying the blend of five types of malt. Since you can see the brewing equipment through the glass, you can drink while watching the brewery in action.

"Yaramaikaa Beer PREMIUM" is also certified as a Hamamatsu regional brand. They release seasonal specials like Rauchbier and Dortmunder too, so definitely check those out if you go. Drinking it with sausage on tableware imported from Germany is the best.