Okazaki Beer

Did you know? The representative here at Okazaki Beer, Ryuta Amano, used to be an anime animator. He worked at an animation production company in Tokyo, but when he felt he was reaching his limit for the future, he returned to his hometown and switched to automotive interior design. From there, his love of beer grew so strong that he started going to Oktoberfests, and before long he ended up becoming a brewer.

Exactly. But it wasn't a random detour. He spent about four years training at HYAPPA BREWS and Tokorozawa Beer, then started his own brewing operation in his hometown of Okazaki in 2023. He even built the brewery equipment himself, so I think he's got a true maker's spirit.

The flagship is the "Okazaki Hatcho Miso Porter." It's a dark beer made with Maruya Hatcho miso, and it won silver in the Freestyle Dark Ale category at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2024. Even though it's a dark beer, it has almost no harshness and is mellow, so even beginners can enjoy it.

And the RED ALE is impressive too. It won gold in the American Style Amber/Red Ale category at the same 2024 awards. The balance between richness and crispness is classic, and the fact that their very first national competition entry took gold right away is seriously exciting.

That's right. They also use Okazaki's branded rice, "Minesahahi," as an adjunct, so Amano's style is really all about combining local ingredients. They even make a "Refreshing Nishio Matcha Ale" that uses matcha from neighboring Nishio City.