Even BAR house ales can be done!
What about the craft scene starting in Itabashi?
<Part 1>

A community centred on craft beer is growing up in Itabashi, which once flourished as a post town on the Tokaido Highway.This month, we feature TOKYO ALEWORKS, a facility where anyone can make craft beer!

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi

Bob Stockwell, manager of production and quality control.Photos Kenichi Katsukawa

Itabashi Cask Village is a collection of beer, wine and whisky-related facilities, including a brewpub where you can enjoy pairing Japanese food with craft beer and a tasting room where you can sample whisky.
It is a commercial complex with the concept of a cask, where the people who gather in the community and the alcohol are slowly matured.


The newest addition to the Itabashi Cask Village is TOKYO ALEWORKS, a brewery where visitors can experience brewing.


In the US, the home of craft beer, drinkers have become brewers by taking up the challenge of home brewing, and this has helped to foster the craft beer scene.
However, unlike the US, home brewing is not permitted in Japan, and there is a big wall between the drinker and the brewer.


The idea is that the general public can casually experience original craft beer brewing, and that this free and creative experience will connect drinkers and brewers, which in turn will revitalise the scene.


This is how Jimmy Yamauchi, chief producer of the facility and a well-known whisky specialist, explains the significance of TOKYO ALEWAORKS.

Inside the brewery, which is equipped with the latest American equipment.

'At 'TOKYO ALEWAORKS', brewers with specialist knowledge are on hand, allowing professionals and amateurs, private individuals and restaurants alike, to enjoy homebrewing as if they were at a kitchen school.


We especially want women who usually stand in the kitchen and prepare meals to try their hand at craft beer brewing as an extension of their everyday life.
Craft beer making is often seen as a special experience, but we want to tell people that it is something more casual and less intimidating.
With this in mind, we have designed it like a kitchen school.


At TOKYO ALEWAORKS, individuals can brew from a minimum of 20 litres, while restaurants can brew from 160 litres.
The company introduced state-of-the-art brewing equipment from the USA when it opened, including a system that allows real-time monitoring of the fermentation process via a smartphone.
The brewery aims to produce highly reproducible original beer through system management of data and recipes.

Stainless steel boiling kettle installed in an island kitchen.Capable of preparing three sets at a time.

Production and quality control management is carried out by Bob Stockwell, a 'malt whisky' specialist.Having worked at four malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and several craft breweries in Japan, he has a wealth of knowledge and skills.


'The most important part of brewing beer is cleaning.
It is said that '90% of the beer is cleaned, 9% of the floor is mopped and the remaining 1% is prepared' (laughs).


The tanks and even the hot side, where the brewing takes place, must be clean at all times.
If different yeasts or bacteria are mixed in, you end up with something completely different.


The next thing to watch out for is temperature control during fermentation.
This may sound like a hassle, but we live in an age where this can be easily monitored with a smartphone.
The equipment shown here is very common amongst American ohmbrewers, who set up a system like this in their garage at home to make their beer.


In other words, this is all you need to make beer.
Easy, isn't it?"(Bob)

Cold crashing is carried out by Randy, an adviser who is resident at the brewery.

The brewing experience, which will start in July, will be a half-day content, incorporating lunch at the adjacent IBU brewpub and a pint of craft beer after the experience.


The experience includes preparation and transfer to the fermentation tanks, as well as cleaning.
The experience of this humble but indispensable process is the first step to understanding the depth of beer brewing.


I myself experienced home brewing when I went back to the US.
Compared to the US, I feel that in Japan there is a distance between the brewer and the drinker, and the drinker has a strong sense of 'I'll leave the good stuff to the professionals'.


Even though there are some tricks, it's actually not that difficult to make good beer.
Nevertheless, once you experience beer brewing, you will appreciate the beer made by people.
Especially when you realise how much skill is required for the beers made by the major manufacturers.
I think this spirit of respect is what makes a good drinker.


Trial and error with the aim of making something better is a very creative and meaningful time.
I think the best part of home brewing is that you can share that kind of time with your friends and also show off what you've created to everyone.

Jimmy Yamauchi, producer.Currently based in Santa Barbara, he is involved in whisky and beer-related businesses across the USA. TOKYO ALEWORKS is the fulfilment of Jimmy's desire to bring the West Coast homebrewing culture to Japan.

In addition to house ales from individuals and restaurants, craft beers under the name 'TOKYO ALEWORKS' will also be released.
First up is a Japanese-style craft beer with a Japanese tea theme, with Green Tea IPA (green tea), Roasted Green Tea Stout (hojicha) and other Japanese-style craft beers using seasonal tea leaves scheduled for release in the near future.


Other beers not to be missed include the 307 IPA series, which specialises in barley malt and hop combinations.
According to Bob, this series highlights the character of each hop and is perfect for comparing beers.
The series will be a great way to learn about the individuality of hops and will be a useful reference for brewers who are looking to make beer in the future.


In the second part, we will introduce a craft beer pairing situation that will likely deepen the homebrewing culture.


Continued in Part 2.