Music and beer are always inseparable-- from intimate jam sessions to public music festivals, beer is a perennial favorite for any occasion. It’s said that many classical musicians like Mozart and Beethoven were also beer lovers, as we can see in this letter Mozart wrote to his friend:
“If you have some beer please share it with me, you know how much I love to drink beer.”
Beethoven also expressed his appreciation for beer, saying:
“There's a rumor of a revolution breaking out soon, but as long as the Austrians have their dark beer and sausages, I don’t think it’ll happen.”
Beethoven always read the newspaper while drinking beer at a cafe, appeasing his interests in both beer and politics. Not only does this quote by Beethoven show his understanding of the political situation at the time, but it also reveals his love of beer.
The head brewer of KUNITACHI BREWERY used to be a musician himself, and currently pursues the art of DJing. This musical background is apparent in the way he names his beers like song titles, such as “1926,” “The Crucible Hazy,” and “The world is like a blinking mosaic.” The art on his beer labels also mimics CD artwork.
The head brewer of Kunitachi mentioned that many musicians go into brewing because they both require a great passion for art and science. In other words, to make good beer or good music, you need creativity paired with precision.
The head brewer told us how he landed on the path of brewing. When he was a musician, he couldn’t drink alcohol but he was fond of Japanese sake and decided to try making sake with just 1% alcohol content. After making sake, he moved on to brewing beer, saying “I was interested in the variety of brewing techniques and how it resembles music with its different forms of expression.”
Kunitachi’s signature beer “1926” has a refreshing wheat flavor and delicate fruity aroma similar to lemon, green apple, and apricot. He named the beer after the year the original Kunitachi JR station building was completed, saying:
“I wanted to make a beer in the image of Kunitachi so the locals would really appreciate it. Kunitachi as a city has modernized certain areas but kept others very traditional. I named this Kolsch style beer “1926” because it had the same sense of duality as Kunitachi itself.”
The large building with a triangular rooftop depicted on the beer label was the original Kunitachi JR station. Once the JR train lines were elevated above floor level, the station needed to reconstruct their building, which meant removing the iconic roof. However, it was eventually rebuilt in front of the current station by popular demand, and construction was completed in 2020. The atmosphere of the old station and its nostalgia pairs perfectly with the gentle taste of 1926. “I want people to walk around the station with a beer in hand and imagine the old and new Kunitachi and how they’re connected.”
