Noymond Brewing

Have you heard of Noymond Brewing in Ichinoseki? They crammed a brewery into the first floor of the izakaya "Wasyu Dining Mondo," which is a pretty bold move.

The owner, Sato Tetsu, had long thought that the ultimate form of a restaurant was one with a brewery attached. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided it was time to act instead of saying "someday."

They consulted Sekinoichi Shuzo, a local sake brewery in Ichinoseki, and Sugawara Yutaka, who had been a regular there, became the brewmaster. It’s basically the story of a beer lover turning pro. Their first brew was in July 2022.

Here’s the amazing part: they don’t keep any standard beers at all. Their style is to release a completely new beer every month. The brand name "Noymond" comes from the German word for new moon, and the idea is to fill hearts with beer the way the moon waxes from new moon to full moon.

The canned one you can buy is "Mellow Drift," a pale ale with aromas of white grapes and citrus. They also make "Fresh Harvest Hop Vitalotta," a session IPA brewed with hops from Tono, made in collaboration with Kirin Brewery. It has a fruity, light drinking character.

In the past, they’ve also released beers like "FIRST BOOT," a pale ale with a strong malt presence, and "Web Browser," a tropical hazy IPA. Even the beer names have a fun, IT-inspired feel. The can labels are handmade too, with a cute new-moon motif.