Derailleur Brew Works

The story behind Derailleur Brew Works is really deep. Its representative, Masanori Yamazaki, was born in Osaka in 1976, originally worked in the care industry, and was also a company cycling team rider.

When the care company he worked for went bankrupt in 2008, a patient he had been supporting in Nishinari encouraged him by saying, "Why don’t you set up a company here?" That pushed him to found the LLC Cyklo. Even the company name and brand name come from cycling terms. "Derailleur" is French for "one who strays from the path, someone who chooses their own way of life."

The trigger was something said by people with disabilities he worked with in employment support: "Nishinari is a town where people drink from morning. If the boss makes sake, we’ll sell it for you."

They started brewing in spring 2018, and their debut beer was Nishinari Riot Ale. It’s a fictionalized American pale ale inspired by the 1990 Nishinari riot, and it’s an easy-drinking beer that starts with caramel sweetness and then reveals hop bitterness and fruity aroma. The concept is "not a drink for hating each other, but one for facing each other and laughing together."

They’ve made more than 100 kinds in five years, and every one has its own original story. Their Hazy IPA is a solid drink at 6.5% ABV, and more recently their Citrus Sour Ale won bronze at IBA 2026. Their collaboration with B.M.B Brewery in Miyazaki, "NISHIE," goes bold with a juicy tropical sour featuring passion fruit notes.

Yes, "Abitayoumon," about a five-minute walk from Haginochaya Station, inside the Hanazono Kita Hondori Shopping Street. People with disabilities and former day laborers are involved in everything from brewing to delivery. It’s a brewery where employment support through beer has really taken shape.