Fujiwara Hiroyuki is a well-known personality on the Japanese craft beer scene, a socialite whose passion for craft beer is matched by his ability to promote it through various media. Fujiwara is an illustrator, journalist, author, teacher, presenter and judge. If his predictions for craft beer in 2012 prove true, he may just have to…

Aoki Tatsuo is an icon of Japan’s young craft beer industry, a tough guy serving up tough love (and seventy drafts of beer at his famous pub Popeye in Tokyo). If you want his opinion, oh yeah, he’ll definitely give it to you. He likes to throw his weight around but at least it’s for…

by Jason Koehler of Devil Craft To the east and a hair north of Antwerp proper in the municipality of Malle, situated among lush fields and grazing cattle lies a brewing tradition with few peers, but many imitators. Here, devout monks dedicated to a life of prayer, community, and work have been brewing beer in…

by Ry Beville Back in September, I had the pleasure of spending an evening out in Tokyo hoisting pints with Ed Tringali. Readers of this year’s winter edition (issue #5) may remember him as the person who originally trained the Swan Lake brewing team. But as I was interpreting a conversation between Ed and Aoki…

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…