Beer and wine have always been closely related in their evolutionary tale. For example, Belgium wanted to make their own wine but couldn’t grow grapes due to the cool climate, so they turned to brewing beer instead. Their longing for the taste and aroma of wine resulted in Belgian beer.
Similarly, the owner of Kanoco Beer was initially more interested in wine than beer. But once he heard that you could make beer with nearly any taste and aroma, he opened up his brewery in hopes of making beer with the aroma of wine.
The owner mentions that one of the attractions to small-scale breweries is the slight differences in taste every year, even though the recipe stays the same. The beer quality changes each year, just as the quality of wine grapes is different each year. Part of enjoying craft beer means accepting the fact that beer and its flavor are dependent on and influenced by nature.
In addition to their original craft beer, Kanoco also sells wines procured from all over the world. The owner is a qualified JSA Senior Wine Expert, and he uses his knowledge of wine in his beer brewing processes.
Their signature beer is the "Yamabuki Ale," which has an impressive golden yellow color like the Yamabuki flower. Yamabuki Ale mainly uses black tea, yuzu, Japanese pepper, and other Japanese ingredients. It’s a refreshing pale ale with the sweetness of black tea and the spice of Japanese pepper.
Minami Shinshu Beer, one of the breweries that sell their beer at Kanoco, is a long-established local brewery in Nagano Prefecture. The owner, relaying his story of founding the brewery, said: “It was difficult for me to open up my own brewery, figuring out brewing craftsmanship and the machines required. But with my own recipes and ideas, I opened Minami Shinshu Beer.” He’s able to find a balance of relying on others and giving over control when he needs to, and working on his own when it's something he’s particular about. One of the things he will never give in on is his recipe for blending spices.
“I wanted to make a Japanese ale, so I initially thought of using green tea. But after much trial and error-- using black tea, green, tea, oolong tea, and different ratios of blends and spices-- I realized that black tea was the way to go.”
The owner of Kanoco Beer expressed his interests in agriculture, and how he hopes to someday make wine from his own organic vineyard. Only time can tell what we’ll see next from Kanoco beer, be it beer or wine or something else entirely.
