Ō Beer

What kind of brewery is Ō Beer?

hop excitedHop Bro

Ō Beer is pretty unusual. Its founder, Jiro Kizuki, studied philosophy at Kyoto University, and even specialized in existential anthropology.

mugi confusedMugi

Philosophy!? Brewing beer from philosophy doesn’t seem connected at all...

hop thinkingHop Bro

That’s the thing. During college, Kizuki made a habit of reading philosophy books with a beer in hand, and for him, “thinking and beer” became a set. After graduating, he worked his way through a securities firm and an IT company, then founded dialektike Co., Ltd. in 2022. “Dialektike” is the Greek word for dialectic, by the way.

mugi surprisedMugi

Even the company name is philosophical! From securities to IT and then beer, that’s an amazing swing.

hop proudHop Bro

The brewery is a renovated Kyoto machiya in Murasakino, and inside it has a small 100-liter brewing system and an eight-tap tasting room. The fermentation tanks are ones developed by Iwami Beer in Shimane. Being open only on weekends is another distinctive touch.

mugi excitedMugi

A brewery in a Kyoto townhouse! And only on weekends too? It feels like a secret base, which is exciting!

hop excitedHop Bro

Even the beer names are philosophical. “Wild Thought” comes from Lévi-Strauss, and “The Sower” is from a painting by Van Gogh. “White is new Black” is a Belgian oatmeal stout. The malt comes from Germany, the UK, and Kyoto-grown barley, the hops from the Czech Republic, Germany, and New Zealand, and the brewing water is from Kyoto.

mugi surprisedMugi

They put philosophy and art into the beer names! So “Wild Thought” is a Belgian wit, right? It makes me want to ponder things while I drink.

hop happyHop Bro

That’s exactly what Jiro Kizuki is aiming for. OBEER’s concept is to create opportunities for people to think for themselves through a lifestyle where beer is part of everyday life. It’s inspired by the free and diverse culture of Belgian beer.

mugi thinkingMugi

Beer as a trigger for thinking is such an interesting idea. Do they have any newer beers too?

hop normalHop Bro

They also make a saison called “A Greeting of Love,” brewed with berries and lavender at 6.0% ABV. They also appeared at the Regional Future Festa. What’s great is that their guiding principle never wavers: making beer that reflects Kyoto’s local crops and culture.

mugi movedMugi

A berry-and-lavender saison...! A Kyoto townhouse brewery run by a philosopher, that’s definitely the kind of place you have to experience for yourself.

Signature beers: Wild ThoughtThe SowerA Greeting of Love

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