Ishinomaki Hop Works

Ishinomaki Hop Works has a really incredible story. The brewery is inside a former movie theater, on the site of the old Nikkatsu Pearl Theater, a cinema that once enlivened downtown Ishinomaki.

The large hall with its arched ceiling has been left as the brewing space, and the projection room near the ceiling is still there too. This theater, which reopened just three months after the disaster, was a source of local pride.

The driving force behind it is Yuka Takahashi. She originally worked at a motorcycle manufacturer, handling motorsports operations while also serving as a factory driver for racing karts. After a serious accident left a plate in her left leg, she later earned a qualification as a psychiatric social worker and started a welfare NPO after the disaster.

It all started when they began growing hops on fallow land in Kitakami Town, Ishinomaki City, which had become unusable after the tsunami. The deciding factor was that the hop flower's language of flowers is "hope." They started with just 20 plants, and now it has grown to more than 1,000.

Head brewer Kyohei Okano is impressive too: at his previous brewery, he won silver at the International Beer Cup four times, gold twice, and was a stout category champion. He came to Ishinomaki because he wanted to take on more freedom, and he's aiming to win the World Beer Cup.

The flagship is "Maki Kaze Ale." It's a refreshing beer that uses plenty of their own aromatic hops. "Maki Kaze IPA" is a juicy style with firm bitterness, and "Maki Kaze WHEAT" has banana-like fruitiness and spice. They also have "Takeda Mark Pale Ale," a collaboration with RADWIMPS bassist Yusuke Takeda.

There's a standing taproom next to the brewery, open only on weekends. It's a small space for about 10 people, but you can enjoy local snacks and freshly brewed beer. Takahashi's dream of having everyone in Ishinomaki toast with beer brewed from Ishinomaki-grown hops is truly taking shape.