by Brian Kowalczyk Nozawa Onsen is, in the warmer months, a sleepy hamlet at the foot of Mount Kenashi where its roughly 5,000 residents all seem to know each other. In the winter, things are much different. Hordes of skiers and boarders descend on the town as Mother Nature dumps tons of beautiful white powder,…

Mark Hood, founder of Sound Brewery in Poulsbo, Washington, is excited about his big, new brewery. It will be one of the most high-tech facilities in America, and it comes after just five years of professional brewing on his original, smaller system. The array of prestigious awards he has received is part of the reason…

Is it possible for a non-Japanese individual to launch a brewpub in Tokyo entirely on his or her own? Forget Tokyo–how about anywhere in Japan? No local business partner, no Japanese spouse, no bank loans–just confidence in a plan and a can-do attitude. When James Williams opened Campion Ales in December of 2013, he didn’t…

He’s won a major brewing award in the Czech Republic. He’s been featured on a Japanese television documentary and been the focus of considerable media attention. The founder of Yokohama Bay Brewing, Suzuki Shinya, is also making his second appearance in this magazine–the first was when, slightly before launching, he offered aspiring readers practical advice…

“It’s all about producing beer that we are proud of and want to drink every single day.” This deceptively simple mantra is evident in the way that Avery Brewing Company approaches the art of beer-making. The motto may be simple, but the beer is anything but. Avery’s lineup of beers is about as diverse as…