Yamaguchi Narutaki Kogen Brewery

Yamaguchi Narutaki Kogen Brewery was founded in 1997, and it has been around since the dawn of Japanese craft beer.

They've been brewing continuously since the local beer boom days. Brewer Hojo studied brewing in Germany and then worked for beer companies in Japan before coming here. They make a traditional German-style beer using only malt, hops, and yeast, with no adjuncts at all.

What's more, the reason they chose this location is interesting. After searching for land with natural water ideal for beer brewing, they arrived at Narutaki Kogen. The famous Narutaki water, rich in minerals, is the base for all their beers.

Their regular lineup includes four beers: Pilsner, Pale Ale, Weizen, and Stout. The Stout won the Grand Gold award at Monde Selection. And another standout is the Yamada Nishiki Lager. It is brewed with Yamaguchi Prefecture's sake rice, Yamada Nishiki, and sake yeast, and was selected as the World's Best Rice Beer at the World Beer Awards 2018.

It has an alcohol content of 7.5%, with a fruity aroma like ginjo sake. Another great one is the Hagi Yuzu Ale. The yuzu peel, hand-peeled one by one by farmers in Hagi, is steeped in the fermenting beer to add aroma.

The brewery also has a restaurant called Saint-Remy de Provence attached to it, and from the terrace you can see Narutaki's nature and the starry sky. It's a place where you can enjoy craft beer in an atmosphere reminiscent of southern France.