Konono Beer Brewery

Konono Beer Brewery is a brewery born on the grounds of the hot spring facility Yunosato in Hashimoto City, Wakayama. Its origin story is incredibly dramatic.

Everything. The founder, Sumiko Shigeoka, originally switched from the textile business at age 53 and declared she would "dig for hot springs." Experts told her there was no water here, but after digging 50 meters with nothing coming out, a magnitude 4 earthquake hit, and when they opened the valve right after, underground water gushed out at 400 liters per minute. That became "Kinsui." In addition, another hot spring water called "Ginsui" emerged from 1,187 meters underground, and blending the two produced "Tsuki no Shizuku," a mineral water.

Exactly. His son, Shogo Shigeoka, took over as president and invested 135 million yen to build the brewery. Brewer Mr. Iwamoto trained at August Beer in Tokyo, and he describes the taste of beer brewed with this "Tsuki no Shizuku" water as having "high resolution." He says the flavor profile comes through more clearly than beer made elsewhere.

There are three staples. Golden Ale is 5% alcohol, light yet with depth. Pale Ale uses only Cascade hops, so it has a bright citrus aroma but no sharp edge to its bitterness, making it easy to drink. Belgian White is wheat-based and scented with coriander and orange peel. All of them are unfiltered and bottled with the yeast still alive.

That's exactly the best part. You can drink all varieties on draft at Konono BEER STOP on the premises. There's also "Konono Cola" made with 13 spices and handmade sausages, and the Italian restaurant inside the facility serves draft beer too. It's a brewery where you can savor the whole story: miracle water discovered by a hot spring company turned into beer.