Keep it weird in Wakayama
text by Julian Houseman, photos by Jason Adamson
Many things that happen in life can be attributed to chance encounters. Whenever you meet someone new, you can never know how that coincidental meeting may or may not have an effect on your future. To hear the story of Adam Baran’s journey to becoming head brewer at Nomcraft Brewing, you’d have to admit it’s a classic tale of the right people meeting at just the right time.
Baran’s story begins in Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduating from university with a degree in communications, he took the limited amount of Japanese language ability he had acquired through high school classes and headed to Japan in 2011 to enjoy some of the fun and frivolity on offer for the life of a working English teacher. No doubt many can relate to the story thus far.
At the time, despite being an avid fan of craft beer, having been introduced through his older brother back in Chicago, Baran had no grandiose plans to either become a brewer or even enter the industry. However, when he found a kindred spirit and craft beer enthusiast in fellow English teacher Ben Emrich, the seeds of dreams were sown. Together they frequented the craft beer bars of Osaka and Kansai and attended the craft beer events that were beginning to increase in number at the time.
After a number of years, the two began to wonder if they could create some kind of business out of their passion for craft beer. Initially they pondered the idea of a craft beer bar before setting their sights even bigger on the possibility of building their own brewery in Kansai. Despite this sounding like the kind of idea that evaporates once the boozy fog has lifted following a sobering nap, Baran and Emrich took it seriously enough to begin planning–even going so far as to quit their English teaching jobs in order to head home to the United States in 2017 to regroup and build a strategy.
The initial time frame they gave themselves was two to three years. In this time they planned to raise capital, hone their brewing skills, and make the necessary preparations for a triumphant return to Japan to build their own brewery.
Baran earned qualifications as a Certified Cicerone and worked at a number of taprooms around Chicago, while Emrich built upon his home-brew skills with brewing experience at some of the many breweries in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. However, developing brewing skills was one thing–the reality of financing a brewery was something that needed serious attention.
It was here that another fateful encounter came into play. A number of years earlier, Emrich had attended a Portland Fair held at Hanshin Department Store in Osaka. The fair featured various stalls and booths showcasing the city of Portland’s dedication to coffee houses, craft beer, and hand-crafted food that had turned the city into the modern, artsy, gastronomic hub it has become. As he wandered the fair, Emrich came across a booth attended by some representatives of the town of Aridagawa’s machizukuri (town development) committee. The group led by Shinsuke Morimoto had been looking to Portland as a role model of how to build a local economy, slow the falling population, and turn their own Aridagawa area into a hip, funky region with wider appeal for outside visitors. They even had a project slogan: “Keep Aridagawa Weird.” Being a native of Portland, Emrich enjoyed a chat with the crew and did the customary exchange of business cards.
Fast forward a couple of years to Baran and Emrich considering possibilities for financing their yet to be realized brewery. Emrich recalled his meeting with the AGW (a fittingly weird acronym for AridaGawa Weird) Portland enthusiasts and decided to reach out to the group to see if they had any leads on obtaining government grants or business support for developing a craft beer brewery.
Now, let the following serve as a lesson for everyone as to why you always keep any business cards you receive. Baran and Emrich received a prompt reply to their email from Morimoto, who had a query of his own. At the time, the AGW team was considering how best to make use of a dormant nursery school site (the school had reopened in a new location). Morimoto and some fellow investors were considering turning the site into a craft beer taproom and he put forward the proposal that if Emrich and Baran were looking to brew beer, perhaps they might be interested in coming to Wakayama to brew craft beer for an Aridagawa-based brewery.
It wasn’t exactly the initial plan the two had in mind, but being handed the reins to run a brewery without having to shoulder the financial investment was a deal way too good to pass on. From here plans went into overdrive as emails flew back and forth and video calls were arranged. It was during the video call sessions that another piece of the Nomcraft puzzle fell into the right place at the right time.
Takumi Kaneko, a young traveler and recently converted craft beer lover from Aichi Prefecture, had spent a number of years backpacking all over the world. During a stint in Portland, Kaneko happened to meet the members of the AGW team, who were also visiting at the time. He became intrigued enough by the project that he made a visit to Aridagawa, and ended up working in the area picking tangerines and building furniture at Morimoto’s furniture workshop. Kaneko’s English skills saw him drafted in to help with translating and interpreting some of the finer points in the video calls and discussions. He subsequently ended up on what was to become the Nomcraft Brewing team as an occasional brewer and creative marketer.
Yet another timely addition to the team came later in the form of UK native, Gareth Williams. As a long-term resident of the area, Williams had attended council committee meetings curious what the future held for the nursery school his children had once attended. Gareth’s interest was piqued upon hearing the plans to turn the space into a brewery. He helped with some of the labor in setting up the brewery and became a regular fixture at the brewery–to the point he ended up leaving his position with the local Board of Education to become sales representative for Nomcraft Brewing.
Baran and Emrich’s two to three year plan had rapidly condensed into eighteen months, and by spring of 2019, less than two years after they had left Japan, they were back with an operational brewery in Aridagawa and ready to make some beer.
For two fledgling brewers, the idea of jumping head first into commercial brewing without formal training or a qualified head brewer on staff was of course a daunting prospect. Much of the equipment had been sourced from a brewery in Iwate, which was kind enough to allow Kaneko some hands-on experience using the equipment under brewer-guidance before shipping to Wakayama. Baran describes receiving plenty of assistance and advice from the supportive brewing community in Kansai, as well as finding the infinite resources available on the internet particularly valuable when it came to troubleshooting machinery and equipment operations.
In a true baptism of fire, the first beers released under the Nomcraft label went straight into kegs and debuted at the 2019 Craft Beer Live festival in Osaka. Fortunately, the beer was well received and Nomcraft Brewing was on its way.
Although the brewery was off to a sound start, it wasn’t long until they hit their first major hurdle: the COVID pandemic. Nomcraft wasn’t even a year into brewing at the time. Baran points out that the upside to their situation compared to others was that they weren’t yet brewing to full capacity (only around four beers a month then; now, up to ten). That meant drastic adjustments to their brewing output and schedule were not necessary. However, they did need to shift their packaging focus from kegs to bottles.
Another major change for Nomcraft Brewing came with Emrich’s departure from the brewery in early 2022 to head a new project (Open Air Brewing) in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Fortunately, the split was amicable and Emrich’s departure provided the opportunity for Baran to take what he’d learned under his friend’s guidance and confidently step into the role of head brewer.
These days, Baran runs a tight ship with brewing help from his assistant brewer, Junya Nakamura, and occasionally, Kaneko. Not surprisingly given the market’s insatiable appetite for hop-heavy beers, IPAs occupy a fair bit of tank space at Nomcraft with two of the three beers from the regular lineup being IPA (alongside a Golden Ale), as well as a number of limited one-off releases. But other interesting creations abound, including Ume-gin, a sour ale made with ume plums and ginger, which offers a refreshingly spicy mouthfeel and makes for a perfect beer to start some early Sunday day-drinking. There’s even hard seltzer made with local tangerines in the lineup. Given the brewery’s surroundings, tangerines and yuzu naturally feature in a number of brews as well as other seasonal fruits and locally grown budo sansho (Japanese pepper).
The town of Aridagawa is located about ninety minutes south by car out of Osaka and about forty minutes from Wakayama Station. Sitting in the northern center of Wakayama Prefecture, the brewery’s surrounding area is mountainous and calmingly picturesque, as it bursts with an abundance of orchards offering tangerines, ume, peaches, grapes, blueberries, and a cavalcade of citrus fruits. Water to the region (and brewery) flows from Mount Koya down the Arida River right through the town and out to the sea that sits not too far away, separating Wakayama from the island of Shikoku.
Here among the orchards and mountains sits Nomcraft Brewing. The former nursery location offers more than just craft beer. AGW developed the site with the concept of creating a “living room” for the 27,000 locals–not a living room in the literal sense, but figuratively as a place for locals to converge and relax. Geographically the location may sound like the ideal setting for a craft beer brewery; however, the nursery school buildings that contain the brewing facilities can, at first glance, seem a little out of place. The outside walls of the buildings still bear painted murals of bunny rabbits, cartoon characters, and zoo animals. Despite the unusual contrast of nursery school and beer brewery, the juxtaposition actually lends a familiar, family-friendly atmosphere to the venue.
In the connecting space next-door to the brewery is Golden River taproom and restaurant. Although not directly under management of Nomcraft Brewing, the restaurant and taproom shares a common investor and dutifully serves Nomcraft brews on its six taps alongside some rather outstanding burgers and other quality pub fare. Completing the AGW nursery school takeover is Grand Avenir Bakery, a nail salon, and a guesthouse, which is currently under construction and set for completion in early 2023.
Local visitors, as well as those that enjoy the scenic drive from south Osaka, keep the “living room” bustling on the weekend and even weekdays see a steady stream of cyclists and locals popping in for a burger, fresh bread, and maybe even a tasting at the brewery’s tasting station.
It’s all pretty casual and laid back at Nomcraft Brewing, and Baran’s relaxed unassuming demeanor fits right in. He seems to be making the most of the lifestyle his countryside location affords. With beaches a mere ten minutes drive away and the surrounding mountains offering plenty of quality hiking trails, it’s a lifestyle that suits his easy-going nature. When it comes to brewing, 34-year-old Baran is completely devoid of ego with a refreshing thirst for knowledge and willingness to share anything and everything about their brewing process.
This is not to say Baran and his investors are sitting on their laurels. They may not be looking to dominate the craft beer scene, but Baran asserts they are looking to grow as a brewery and expand their market. As one of the first steps, the necessary equipment is on its way that will see Nomcraft beer packaged in cans and available in more areas of Japan in 2023.
Despite being a Wakayama brewery, Baran laments that only two venues in the prefecture stock their beer on tap, something they aim to rectify now that COVID precautions have eased. Tokyo venues take about thirty percent of the brewery’s output with the rest mostly going to Osaka and Kyoto. Gaining a stronger local presence is high on Nomcraft’s to-do list. The brewery has held a number of events including a sushi and beer matching dinner and a campfire and oden (slow cooked meat and vegetables in dashi broth) evening to entice the locals to Aridagawa’s “living room”.
As they stretch out for wider appeal, Baran is aware the craft beer market can be tricky when it comes to gaining loyal customers, locally and across Japan. Baran notes, “They may try your beers and even like them, but you need to bring something exciting to earn that loyalty that gets them coming back again and again.” He also notes the constant feeling of playing catch-up with a market that is seemingly always on the lookout for the next trend. But Baran’s optimism and enthusiasm wins out. “Drinking beer is fun,” he says, “And making beer is fun. We just want to enjoy doing what we do and hope other people enjoy it too.”
If you’re not close enough to stop by for a visit be sure to keep an eye out for Nomcraft beers in the fridge or on tap at your local craft beer bar. Their beers represent more than just the chilled rural vibes of Aridagawa and the fantastic sequence of events and encounters that have led Adam Baran and his team to where they are now. Nomcraft is producing some fantastic, fun, unpretentious beer that is brewed by people who take the beer seriously without taking themselves seriously and who keep Aridagawa weird. Just how it should be.
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.
