Gifu Beer Brewing

Next is Gifu Beer Brewing in Gifu City. The working style of its representative, Satoru Hiratsuka, is pretty unique.

His main job is as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company, what is known as an MR. He runs a craft beer brewery as a side business. He got his brewing license in March 2021 and started a nanobrewery in Gifu City.

At first he researched startup examples in craft beer online, visited about 10 breweries across Japan, and even trained for two weeks in Shimane. He started with a small 200-liter kettle in a former bakery, then moved in 2022 to a spot along the approach to Inaba Shrine.

Exactly. He renovated the former waiting area of Gifu Zenkoji, called Yoroka, and turned it into the taproom YOROCA. You can drink craft beer in a scenic place along the shrine approach.

There are four core beers. Their names are inspired by Gifu scenery: Kinkazan Ale, Ukai Red Ale, Sunset IPA, and Yanagase White. Yanagase White uses wheat malt and the peel of yuzu grown in Seki City, so it has a gentle citrus aroma.

They also use groundwater from the Nagara River for brewing water. They are only open from Friday to Sunday, but they release the annual spring beer Sakura Saison, and they also brew limited seasonal beers throughout the year. Hiratsuka says, 'You don't have to quit your job; you can start with just one day a week,' and he is showing a new way to be a brewer.