Nara Brewing

What kind of brewery is Nara Brewing?

hop excitedHop Bro

Did you know Nara Brewing? The representative, Yasunori Namioka, is someone who originally graduated from Kyoto University's Faculty of Engineering and then worked as a civil engineering officer at the Nara Prefectural Government for 13 years. While traveling around the world as a backpacker during his university days, he was so struck by Belgian beer and thought, "There are flavors this fruity and gentle," that he never forgot it, left the prefectural office, and switched careers to become a brewer.

mugi surprisedMugi

What! From civil servant to craft beer!? Can you really start brewing all of a sudden?

hop normalHop Bro

No, no. In 2015 he first joined Kyoto Brewing as an assistant brewer and trained hard for two years. Then he founded Nara Brewing in 2017. It had been about 20 years since a new beer manufacturing license had been issued in Nara Prefecture.

mugi surprisedMugi

Twenty years! So there really wasn't much of a craft beer culture in Nara. What kinds of beer do they make?

hop excitedHop Bro

The first interesting one is UNDERWATER, a Sake Yeast Beer. They teamed up with Yucho Shuzo, the brewery behind Nara's famous sake Kaze no Mori, and use sake yeast, brewing water, and even a fermentation water called so-yashi water, while using zero hops. At 11.5% ABV, aromas like apple, pineapple, and strawberry burst out, but it's neither beer nor sake. It's a glass that pushes the boundaries of fermentation.

mugi surprisedMugi

What is that! Beer without hops!? And with sake yeast too... I want to try it!

hop happyHop Bro

I’d also recommend PHILHARMONY, a Belgian witbier. It uses Yamatotachibana, a native Nara citrus, and layers its tartness with the sweetness of wheat and the refreshing notes of coriander and lemongrass. Because it’s a citrus that has grown wild in Nara since ancient times, it has a flavor unlike any other witbier.

mugi thinkingMugi

They really make good use of local ingredients. How have they done in competitions?

hop proudHop Bro

This is where it gets exciting. At Japan Brewers Cup 2026, SUN, a smoky amber, took first place in the Amber Beer category, an INTEGRAL variant took second in Strong Beer, and the brewery was chosen as Champions Brewery overall out of more than 1,022 entries. At the World Beer Awards 2025, INTEGRAL also won Country Winner in the Belgian Style Strong category. And what's more, they have a policy of never using deer, the Great Buddha, or any other Nara tourist imagery in their branding.

mugi movedMugi

Grand champion!? It's so cool that they're not relying on tourism and are winning purely on the quality of their beer... And their experimental spirit, with more than 20 new releases a year and over 150 recipes in total, is amazing too. I definitely want to visit the taproom!

Signature beers: UNDERWATERPHILHARMONYINTEGRALSUN
Nara Brewing publishes first-shipment store list for KUSANAGI Belgian wit
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing publishes first-shipment store list for KUSANAGI Belgian wit

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing announces first shipment retailers for KUSANAGI
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing announces first shipment retailers for KUSANAGI

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing lines up June 6 taproom open day and Tokyo KUSANAGI launch
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing lines up June 6 taproom open day and Tokyo KUSANAGI launch

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing to Open Its Taproom on June 6, Pairing Gold-Medal Beers with a Brewery Tour
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing to Open Its Taproom on June 6, Pairing Gold-Medal Beers with a Brewery Tour

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Releases Belgian Wit "KUSANAGI" Made with Shizuoka-Grown Suruga Elegant
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing Releases Belgian Wit "KUSANAGI" Made with Shizuoka-Grown Suruga Elegant

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Announces KIGEN Booth at the End of May and a Two-Venue Event on June 6
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing Announces KIGEN Booth at the End of May and a Two-Venue Event on June 6

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing to Open Taproom and Hold Brewery Tours on June 6
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing to Open Taproom and Hold Brewery Tours on June 6

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing to Open Taproom and Host Brewery Tours on June 6, with World Beer Cup Gold Medal Beers Also on Tap
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing to Open Taproom and Host Brewery Tours on June 6, with World Beer Cup Gold Medal Beers Also on Tap

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Launches HOiSUM Collaboration Socks Centered on Gold-Medal-Winning "FUNCTION"
BreweryNara Brewing Award

Nara Brewing Launches HOiSUM Collaboration Socks Centered on Gold-Medal-Winning "FUNCTION"

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Announces First Shipment Retailers for EATBEAT! Collaboration Gose "HOORAY!"
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing Announces First Shipment Retailers for EATBEAT! Collaboration Gose "HOORAY!"

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Announces Initial Shipment Stores for Gose “HOORAY!” Made with Awaji Island Bitter Orange and Salt
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing Announces Initial Shipment Stores for Gose “HOORAY!” Made with Awaji Island Bitter Orange and Salt

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Unveils HOiSUM Collaboration Socks Inspired by FUNCTION
BreweryNara Brewing New Release

Nara Brewing Unveils HOiSUM Collaboration Socks Inspired by FUNCTION

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing announces “HOORAY!”, a gose with Awaji daidai, created with EATBEAT!
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing announces “HOORAY!”, a gose with Awaji daidai, created with EATBEAT!

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing announces the first shipment locations for its Wet Hop hoppy pilsner 'KIP'
BreweryNara Brewing Seasonal

Nara Brewing announces the first shipment locations for its Wet Hop hoppy pilsner 'KIP'

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Re-Releases "KIP" with Wet Hop, Reveals Initial Shipping Stores
BreweryNara Brewing New Release

Nara Brewing Re-Releases "KIP" with Wet Hop, Reveals Initial Shipping Stores

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing announces four events at bookstores, markets, and its taproom from late May to early June
BreweryNara Brewing Event

Nara Brewing announces four events at bookstores, markets, and its taproom from late May to early June

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing announces collaboration beer "ECHOES" with EATBEAT! for Mori, Michi, Ichiba 2025
BreweryNara Brewing Collab

Nara Brewing announces collaboration beer "ECHOES" with EATBEAT! for Mori, Michi, Ichiba 2025

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Releases "KIP," a Wet-Hopped Hoppy Pilsner
BreweryNara Brewing New Release

Nara Brewing Releases "KIP," a Wet-Hopped Hoppy Pilsner

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Announces First Shipment Stores for American IPA "LOCOMOTION"; Online Sales Begin May 8
BreweryNara Brewing New Release

Nara Brewing Announces First Shipment Stores for American IPA "LOCOMOTION"; Online Sales Begin May 8

Nara Nara City
Nara Brewing Announces First Retailers for American IPA "LOCOMOTION"
BreweryNara Brewing New Release

Nara Brewing Announces First Retailers for American IPA "LOCOMOTION"

Nara Nara City

articles about bars serving beers from Nara Brewing

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