Sekinoichi Sake Brewery

Have you heard of Sekinoichi Sake Brewery? It’s the brewery behind Iwate Kura Beer, founded in Taisho 7, or 1918, and it’s seriously no ordinary place.

Exactly. And the origin of the company name is impressive too. When Prince Kan'in visited, they were named with the wish to make the best sake that would bring joy to everyone. They brew beer with that same spirit. The fourth-generation president, Wataru Sato, has been leading the company, and after the earthquake they further strengthened the beer business.

Yeah. The brewery buildings were damaged too, but one beer born from the recovery effort was called Fukuka. It’s brewed with yeast collected from Morioka’s natural monument, Ishiwari-zakura, a cherry tree said to be 360 years old. That yeast was almost lost in the disaster, but it was rescued from the rubble and brought back to life.

What I especially want to recommend is the Sanriku Oyster Stout. It’s a dark beer made using the meat and shells of oysters from the Sanriku coast in Iwate, and it won a silver medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup. The mineral character of the oysters pairs beautifully with the stout’s roasted aroma.

They also go bold with local ingredients, like the Japanese Spice Ale Sansho made with sansho from Ichinoseki. They’ve turned a two-story earthen storehouse from the Taisho era into a museum, and the brewery restaurant serves local specialty mochi dishes, so the whole site feels like a theme park of its own.

They also won a Gold Medal at Monde Selection in 1997 for their Weizen, and they’re a regular at the International Beer Cup too. What’s fascinating is how the brewery’s DNA, the fermentation techniques of the Nanbu toji, lives on in the beer as well.