Forest Brewing

Forest Brewing has a pretty unusual origin story. It started out as a firewood producer. A forestry company decided to get into craft beer.

The trigger was interesting. When they went to Europe for forestry training, they were impressed by how good the local craft beer tasted. That led to the idea of combining firewood and craft beer. They burn offcuts from firewood in a wood-fired boiler called Furnace, and use that heat to brew the beer.

Another point is that they turn woody waste into energy, so the environmental impact is low. And the brewery is located upstream of Kambayashi Dam, where meltwater from the Zao mountain range flows in. They use incredibly clean water from an area known as Sendai's water reservoir as their brewing water.

Their flagship is a German pilsner called Woodcutter's Pilsner. It uses German barley malt and German hops. Their core style is European, shaped by brewing experience gained in Germany. Other beers include Morning Mist Helles, Campfire Dunkel, and Starry Sky Weizen, all of which have nature-inspired names.

That's a Hazy IPA with 6% ABV. Since they're a firewood shop, they went with a chainsaw theme. It has a bright citrus aroma, and they handle American hops just as well as their European style. Sunset IPA is also 6% ABV, and that one is American style too.

For their third anniversary, they even ran a free shipping campaign for kegs. They also made their first appearance at the KOTATSU Yatai Festival in Machida, and released a three-bottle set designed for the order in which you drink them for White Day. They really do have a playful spirit. It feels reassuring that they're sending their beer out from the forests of Kawasaki Town to the whole country.