Ichijoji Brewery

Ichijoji Brewery was founded by psychiatrist Shunsuke Takagi. He was a pioneer in Japan, the first to put into practice ACT-K, a home-visit medical care model that helps people with severe mental illness live independently in their communities.

He opened the brewery in 2011 מתוך a desire to create a place where people with mental illness could work with pride. In fact, the beer called "Fuzoroi no Mugi-tachi" is brewed using barley grown at disability workshops and hops cultivated on a social farm.

And the beer itself is ambitious too. The regular lineup includes an impactful IPA called "Destroy Angel IPA," plus Belgian Wheat, Golden Ale, Red Ale, and Stout, so the selection is wide-ranging.

What is especially impressive is the "Terroir Kyoto" series. It uses Kyoto-grown malt and hops, and all the fruit too: Yuzu from Mizuo, lemon from Fushimi, ume from Aodani, and chestnuts from Tamba. Under the concept of "Field to Glass," they are participating in the K100 Project, which aims to make beer with 100% Kyoto ingredients.

It's not easy. The amount of barley and hops that can be grown in Kyoto is limited. But they are working with local farmers to expand little by little, and OEM production is going well too, with shipments reaching 90,000 bottles on a 330 ml bottle equivalent basis. The location at the foot of Mount Hiei makes it a beer packed with the full character of Kyoto's climate and culture.

A brewery where medicine, agriculture, and beer are all connected is probably one of a kind in the world. Behind every glass of beer, there is someone's workplace and Kyoto's fields. When you drink it knowing that background, the flavor changes again.