2nd Story Ale Works

2nd Story Ale Works has a story right in the name. It was started as the Browns' "second chapter in life" by Patrick Brown, who is from Montana in the U.S., and his wife, Tomoki, who is from Tokushima.

He studied brewing at university and also trained in Bend, Oregon. His grandfather even ran a bar in Illinois, so there are roots in the family too. At first, they started brewing in a DIY renovation of Tomoki's family garage, so it's a true garage-brewery origin story.

They renovated an old daycare center in Hata-cho, Tokushima City and turned it into the brewery. What's more, the swings and slides in the yard are still there, so it's now a space where children can play.

And Patrick has brewed more than 120 kinds of beer. He doesn't stick to a fixed lineup and is always trying new styles. They make things like "TOPSY," a milk stout, a saison with cardamom and lemon peel, and a New England IPA.

Exactly. They also use adjuncts they grow themselves. They brew with seasonal local produce like sudachi, mandarin oranges, strawberries, figs, and mume plums from Misato. Their barrel-aged farmhouse ale, brewed every year, is matured for six months to more than a year, so they're very serious about it.

They're only open on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, so keep that in mind. But Hata-cho is a nature-rich area surrounded by mountains, with excellent water conditions too. It's definitely worth making the trip.