At Garyu Brewing, Ozu kiwi beer is completed

Located in Konan district, Ozu City, is a red brick warehouse that remains from the Taisho era.

Located in a historic building, Garyu Brewery brews and sells beer.

In March 2024, a beer using kiwi from Ozu City was completed.

We take a closer look at the thoughts behind Kiwi beer and the background behind its brewing.

Beer with deep roots in the local area - Garyu Brewery

In Ozu (Ehime Prefecture), activities are being carried out to renovate unused old houses and make them into tourist resources.

Meanwhile, Arai Co., Ltd., which operates Garyuu Brewery, is "providing new employment opportunities" to people with disabilities.

By producing first-class products, we create added value, which helps generate income for people with disabilities, and we feel a sense of accomplishment by participating in revitalizing the town.

With this background, Garyuu Brewery opened in September 2021.

So far, in addition to the standard IPA and saison, we have produced beers rooted in the local area, such as "Silk Ale" using Ozu silk powder and "Yawatahama Mikan Ale" using mandarin oranges from Yawatahama, Ehime Prefecture.

"I want to actively make beer that I think will be delicious."

Mr./Ms. Hayashida, who is in charge of beer development, is an unrivaled beer lover. It would be fun to toast with beer made from Ozu, which is the fundamental motivation for producing various beers.

So Garyu Brewery decided to take on a new challenge: kiwi beer.

Ozu is a major kiwi producing area ~Nishimura Farm~

Although it is not widely known, Ehime Prefecture boasts the highest kiwi fruit production in the country, with most of the fruit produced in Nagahama, which faces the Seto Inland Sea.

The kiwi used in the kiwi beer was also made by Mr./Ms. Nishimura, a farmer in Ozu Nagahama.

Nishimura had been frequently transferred in his previous job, but he had doubts about that lifestyle and the way of life in the city, and he also wanted to start his own business, so he decided to take over his family's farm.

Nishimura himself wanted to promote Nagahama, one of the leading kiwi fruit producers in Japan, and wanted people to enjoy kiwi fruit in a variety of ways.

Then, in November 2023, we met Mr. Hayashida of Garyuu Brewery and began planning to brew kiwi beer.

Nishimura Farm's commitment to kiwi fruit cultivation lies in creating an optimal farm environment.

By maintaining not only the kiwi fields but also the surrounding mountains and bamboo forests, ventilation will improve and damage from wild animals will be reduced.

By incorporating the positive aspects of nature, such as turning the bamboo used to support the kiwi branches into chips and using them as compost, they are able to produce even more delicious kiwi fruit.

In addition, Ozu (Ehime Prefecture) participated in the Nagahama Future Council Miraiz, a group that seriously thinks about the future of Nagahama. Through events and public relations activities, he is working to revitalize the community of Nagahama.

Beer lovers will be impressed

"In the past, we made beers because we wanted Ozu people to drink them, but with this Kiwi Beer, we aimed to make beer lovers groan for the first time with people all over the country in mind."

As Hayashida says, a lot of care goes into the production of Kiwi beer.

Through trial and error, they adjusted the flavor without compromising the taste of the kiwi fruit until they achieved the ideal taste. Since each kiwi fruit ripens at a different time, they freeze each one when it ripens, and once they are all frozen, they are peeled. This delicate process leads to the employment opportunities in welfare for people with disabilities mentioned above.

The person who actually brings the kiwi beer that Hayashida envisions to life is brewing technician Kubota.

After working at a long-established brewery in Tokyo, he was in charge of producing Garyuu Beer for two years, and on the day of the interview he was energetically brewing beer.

"Let people know how delicious Nagahama kiwis are through beer"

The finished kiwi beer lived up to the expectations of Garyuu Brewery and Nishimura Farm, being a very fruity beer with a strong kiwi flavor as well as a great aroma.

It has little bitterness, so even those who don't like beer can enjoy it. It goes well with smoked foods, nuts, and cheese, rather than with food.

In addition, by using substandard kiwis, which cannot normally be shipped, for processing, it has become a product that contributes to Sustainable.

The label with the cat on it is inspired by Aoshima, a cat island off the coast of Nagahama, and the cats kept at Nishimura Farm. Behind the cat, a dog stands enviously, looking at the free-spirited cat.

The cute design makes the drink even more enjoyable.

Spreading the deliciousness of Nagahama kiwifruit throughout Japan

Ozu (Ehime Prefecture) is one of Japan's leading kiwi regions.

However, the reality is that not many people know about it.

With this newly released beer, the deliciousness of Ozu kiwi will spread throughout the Japan.

From Nagahama Kiwi IPA, you can feel the passion that Garyuu Brewery and Nishimura Farm have put into the beer.

I would like you to pick it up and try it.

The main stores selling Nagahama Kiwi IPA are listed below.
*As of May 19, 2024, retail sales at Garyuu Brewery have been suspended.
For the time being, it will be sold at the following stores except for Garyuu Brewery, as well as at the attached "yumehonoka".

For information on Garyuu Brewery, Nishimura Farm, and Nagahama Future Council Miraiz, click here.