Good Wolf Brewery

Good Wolf Brewery, in Higashiyoshino Village in Nara, has a story that is seriously compelling. Brewer Keijun Ishii used to work at a specialty store for running and walking gear in Osaka.

That's where it connects. Ishii is into trail running as a hobby, and he fell in love with the nature of Higashiyoshino Village, where he used to come run, so he moved there in 2018. And one of the triggers was that he tried craft beer for the first time in Ventura, California, in 2017 and was blown away.

He joined as a regional revitalization volunteer, then renovated a traditional house over 100 years old into a brewery. The earthen-floored area still has the old hearth, and you can drink beer in three large tatami rooms. It's an ultra-small-scale brewery at just 200 liters per batch.

And the brewery name, 'Good Wolf,' comes from the fact that Higashiyoshino Village is the place where the last Japanese wolf was captured. Their flagship beer, 'Good Wolf,' is a pale ale brewed with Yoshino cedar chips.

Just a hint of it. They brew with spring water from the Daiko Mountains, so the water is excellent too. 'Yuzu Bee' is a Belgian white made with local Higashiyoshino yuzu, and 'Black Wolf' is a stout made with hojicha. In each case, the local ingredients are clearly the stars.

They even cultivate hops themselves, and they have a beer called 'NOROSHI' brewed entirely with those fresh hops. They also collaborate with outdoor brand KEEN on events that combine trail running and beer.