Ibusuki Brewery

Ibusuki Brewery in Kagoshima is a brewery that fully renovated the former Tokumitsu Elementary School, which closed in 2021.

The brewing tanks are lined up in the home economics classroom, and the music room has been turned into a dining space called "Haikou Kitchen Mugi to Niwa." The shoe lockers and blackboard are still there, so you can drink beer in a school-like atmosphere.

It’s operated by a company called Imamiya, and its president, Takashi Imamachi, originally ran welfare businesses in Ibusuki focused on elder care and childcare. A company from a completely different field spent about two and a half years preparing the closed school and turning it into a brewery.

Because it had long been a company rooted in the local community, it probably wanted to turn the closed school into a new local hub. And the brewer in charge is a female brewer.

"Ibusuki IPA" has a fresh, fruity finish, and "Ibusuki Lager" has a smooth mouthfeel. They also make "Passion Ale" and seasonal beers using local fruit. The goal is a fruity, approachable flavor.

That's actually exactly what they're thinking about: they're developing an "onsen-aged craft beer" using Ibusuki's hot springs, and they've even filed a patent for it. It's an idea you could only get from a hot spring town.