Nagoya has certainly asserted itself onto the Japanese craft beer map this year, having hosted a successful craft beer festival in August while the number of establishments serving craft continues to grow: Craft Beer Keg, Okadaya, Chicken Boy, Moku Moku… A large partner to that growth, with several restaurants serving their beer, is local brewery Kinshachi, based just outside the city in Aichi-ken.
As Kinshachi’s primary market is Nagoya, the brewery has endeavored to reflect local traditions in their beers. Their Aka-miso (red soybean paste) Lager and Hatcho-miso Lager are unique creations that stand on their own, but go even better with local cuisine, especially the tebasaki (chicken wings). Having tried the local miso will certainly increase one’s appreciation for the brews, but it’s not a prerequisite. Independently acquired tastes can be a good thing.
Head brewer Yamaguchi joined the company in 1996, while it was still in its infancy, and early on there was a discussion of how to incorporate local ingredients such as aka miso. Yamaguchi thought the addition of such exotic ingredients was going to create a struggle in producing a quality brew, but he prevailed. The original recipe has apparently been tweaked very little over time. The key comes in adding the aka miso after the mash. The Hatcho-miso Lager is essentially the same recipe but with the different miso. The Aka Miso is sourced from Morita Shuzo, their parent company, while the Hatcho Miso comes from nearby Okazaki Kakukyû.
Yamaguchi learned his trade during a six-month program in which Suntory Beer came to help the brewery launch. The training was enough to carry him for ten years before current assistant brewer Sugiyama joined him in 2007. Their brews are not all locally-inspired lagers, though. Yamaguchi did make a well-received IPA and German-styles are typical. Sugiyama notes, “Our IPA was so popular that I’d like to make some similar styles, like a pale ale.” Yamaguchi is currently considering brewing fruit-based beers.
Residents of Nagoya are increasingly recognizing Kinshachi’s commitment to local food and drink culture, and the brewers believe they can use that loyalty to grow their business further. Kinshachi once operated a beer hall in the city, Beer Circus, though that has temporarily closed. No doubt local craft beer drinkers are as eager as the brewers to have a satellite shop such as Circus where they can appreciate Kinshachi’s full line-up fresh on tap. The timing seems right. The beers seem deserving. We’re ready, Kinshachi.
Craft beer bars outside of Nagoya often server Kinshachi on tap. Otherwise, you can have the beers delivered directly to your house: www.kinshachi.jp
This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.
