Minoseki Beer

What comes to mind when you hear Seki City?

Right, it's one of the world's three major cutlery-producing regions. In that city of blades, there's a microbrewery started by a salaried couple: Minoseki Beer.

Yes. That's why they only operate on weekends. They even call themselves "MinoSeki Weekend Brewery." They launched the project in 2021, first building experience by contracting brews with a partner brewery, and finally achieved their first brew at their own brewery in 2023.

What's interesting is that it's located in a section of the Chuno Public Wholesale Market. A brewery inside a market. And the beer names are full of Seki City character. "Seki Pilsner -MAGOROKU-" is a pilsner named after Magoroku, a famous Seki swordsmith, and "Kaminoho Yuzu Ale" is an American pale ale made with local yuzu from Kaminoho in Seki City.

They also have "Itadori Blueberry Ale," a fruit ale made with blueberries from Itadori in Seki City, and a Persian white called "Sky, Barley, and Wind." They use German malt, and the brewing water is local Seki water. Their commitment to local production for local consumption is really strong.

They're done by "neo," a freelance illustrator from Seki City, and the soft style combines pastel hand-drawing with CGI. The experience of buying beer from a city of blades inside a market itself feels like a little adventure.