Diamond Brewery

Diamond Brewery. The brewery here is run by Norihiro Otani, and his background is pretty impressive.

He originally worked for a major beverage company in Kansai, and when he was transferred to Shizuoka, he discovered craft beer and was blown away. From there, he switched careers and trained at Baird Beer, Nagahama Roman Beer, and Two Rabbits Brewing.

In 2020, he first did contract brewing at Golden Rabbit in Nara and released his first batch, an ESB. Then from December of the same year, he began brewing in-house in Omihachiman. The theme is interesting too: "beer that doesn't tire you out" and "a supporting role in everyday life."

That's what makes it good. With a concept of beer to enjoy alongside meals, they want to make something that "may be narrow, but reaches people who love it deeply." Their flagship Antonio Pale Ale has a strong malt character and a pleasant fruity hop finish, a classic American pale ale.

Biscotti Brown, a brown ale, has a simple biscuit-like quality, and it's best a little cool rather than ice-cold. Relax Dunkel has the sweetness of roasted malt and is easy to drink. Another one to watch is SAKE Lager, a rice lager made with the sake rice "Gohyakumangoku" grown in Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City.

The spent grain from brewing is given free to local farmers as compost and feed, so they're also conscious of reducing food waste. They don't have a taproom and instead sell online and through local mass retailers, and they also brew kombucha, which is pretty unique.