Been to a craft beer festival in Japan? You may likely have attended one organized by Oda Ryoji, the chairman of the Japan Craft Beer Association (JCBA). Oda was the first to host a large-scale craft beer festival in Japan, way back in 1998, an event that drew 800 people. Today, his organization runs festivals…

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…