Koshien Outfield Brewery

Koshien Outfield Brewery. The guy there, Yasuyuki Takagi, has such an interesting background. He’s from Fukuoka, lived in Koshien for over ten years, got shocked by craft beer from a tiny brewery, then did hands-on brewing at Wakayama Brewery, helped launch a brewery at Kibi Dotenka Beer in Okayama, and finally trained seriously at Vector Brewing in Tokyo.

Exactly. Then in April 2025 it first opened as a beer bar, and in June it got its brewing license and started brewing in-house. Its first commemorative house-brewed beer was a session IPA called "PLAY BALL."

It uses Citra as a single-hop beer, with bright grapefruit and lime aromas and a firm bitterness. ABV 4.8%, IBU 63. Takagi has a philosophy of "bringing out the character of the malt," and there’s a kind of purity in competing with just one type of hop.

Exactly. There’s nowhere to hide, so your skill gets tested. They also have an English pale ale called "Koshien Spirits," which is characterized by a strong caramel-like maltiness. Since they switch to the next beer when the keg runs dry, you’ll find a different beer every time you go.

Five minutes on foot from the station. You can see the brewing equipment from the glass-fronted entrance, and Takagi says he wants it to be a place where local people naturally gather and conversations start flowing. It’s a great spot to drop by after a baseball game.