Nishiawakura Hinoki Brewery

Nishiawakura Hinoki Brewery is the kind of brewery you'd want to call a 'forest beer' brewery.

Nishiawakura Village, on the northeastern edge of Okayama, is 95% forest by area. It's a brewery that makes 'botanical ales' using hinoki cypress and other forest plants as adjuncts.

Only a faint hinoki flavor remains, so it still works properly as beer. In addition to 'Hinoki White Ale' and 'Hinoki IPA,' they also have a label called 'Bonfire Ale.'

What's more, all of the brewing heat comes from 'firewood.' They use thinned wood from the village as fuel and brew everything without using any fossil fuels. The spent grain from brewing is fully reused as feed and fertilizer for a local dairy farm, making it a completely circular brewery.

The representative, Mamoru Handa, is a transplant. He originally wanted to do work that turned unused things into value. He came to Nishiawakura after encountering a business that turns firewood into energy, took over the operation of the hot spring inn 'Awakura Onsen Motoyu,' and added the brewery there.

The brewing water comes from a pristine mountain stream so clear that giant salamanders live there. They also excel at ales made with seasonal fruit, and 'Strawberry Juicy Ale' is a popular favorite among their lineup of more than 25 varieties.