Rikuzentakata Micro Brewery

Rikuzentakata Micro Brewery is Iwate's first craft beer brewery on the coast. It's inside a facility called the fermentation park "CAMOCY," and it's quite an interesting place.

It's a complex centered on fermented foods, with a bakery, craft chocolate, deli, and more all gathered there. They brew beer in one corner of it.

The owner is Katsuro Kumagai. He used to work at restaurants in Tokyo, but after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, he returned to his hometown of Rikuzentakata, thinking, "I have to do something for my community." He was 30 at the time.

His family runs an apple farm. Getting involved in a craft beer project that used local apples became the turning point. At first he worked with a brewery in nearby Ichinoseki, but then went independent and opened his own brewery. "Apple Ale Rikuzentakata" is the signature product: they press one whole local apple and ferment the juice with malt, and its dry, refreshing aroma is irresistible.

"Ichimatsu Ale" is named after the symbol of disaster recovery, and the hop blend gives it a subtle pine aroma. There's also "Crescent IPA," which has a solid body at 6.5% ABV, and "Yuzu White." What's interesting is that they also make beers using discarded food ingredients, like bakery leftovers and cacao husks.

They also use solar power to heat water and work to reduce waste. Beyond the taste of the beer, I think their real strength is how seriously they engage with the local community and the environment.