Sakura Brewery

You know, Sakura Brewery was founded in Kitakami in 2015 by an Englishman named Stephen Butland, and what makes his coming to Japan especially interesting is this: karate.

He started karate at 12 and came to Japan at 22 to train. As for why Kitakami, his wife's grandfather was Koji Sawafuji, the man who helped develop Kitakami Tenshochi into a famous cherry blossom spot about 100 years ago. Out of respect for that family history, he named the brewery 'Sakura.'

What's more, Kitakami University had yeast collected from the cherry blossoms at Tenshochi in 2010, but it was thought to have been lost in the following year's Great East Japan Earthquake. It was miraculously found in the rubble, and the flagship product brewed with that 'Kitakami Tenshochi Sakura Yeast' is 'Tenshochi Sakura Ale.'

Their brewing standards are impressive too: they use more than 20% more malt than a typical brewery. They really care about a deep malt character. They make more than 30 varieties a year, including 'Mayflower IPA,' a serious hop-heavy beer using twice the usual amount of hops; 'Twilight Saison,' a saison with a white grape aroma; and 'Black Magic Stout,' a stout sold only at their directly managed shop.

Their directly run 'Ale house ROBIN HOOD' is a small space with just 7 to 8 seats total at the counter and tables, with an atmosphere where you can drop in alone. From Monday to Thursday, 5 to 6 p.m. is happy hour, and all beers are half price, which is incredibly generous.

'Tenshochi Sakura Ale Celebration' is also a seasonal release, a spring-like beer based on Belgian White and made with cherry blossom puree and yeast derived from cherry blossoms. And 'Fresh Cascade CRUSH' is brewed by hand-crushing frozen hops from Iwate Prefecture, which really shows how serious they are about local ingredients.