I am pleased to share that the trees have grown a lot since this shot in 2024

Most craft beer drinkers would have heard of Minoh Beer—or at least seen their iconic monkey mascot. With an established history stacked with multiple international awards, Minoh has built a reputation as one of Japan’s pioneering craft breweries. Established in 1996, it is currently headed by President Oshita Kaori, who runs the family business with the help of her two younger sisters, Yahata Mayuko and Nozomi Katsumi. You might spot them and the team around the brewery or pouring pints at craft beer festivals where Minoh Beer makes its spirited presence known.

With a strong distribution network within Japan, you may also spot Minoh Beers in other locations (Photo taken in Takaosanguchi, a nice hiking spot).

Minoh Beer Warehouse

Based in Minoh City, the brewery is about 35 to 45 minutes by train towards the north of Osaka, plus a short walk. Their aim is simple - to make a local beer which is easily drinkable each and every day. This is best represented by their core beers, such as Pilsner, Pale Ale, Stout, and so on. Look out for the labels accented with the big bold words and their logo! A personal favourite from their selection would be the Minoh W-IPA,  which has a refreshing and bitter palate which could serve as a finisher for your drinking session. . We also tried one of their seasonal beers: Saruyama Shikao (猿山鹿男), a ginjo beer created with koji rice from Akishika Shuzo and Saison yeast. The result was a memorable beer which harmoniously blends the flavours of sake and beer.

The monkey outside gestures towards the entrance.

As you enter the store, you will be greeted by the cashier front showcasing all the available selections. One thoughtful thing about the store layout is that it's cozy and designed with the intent to allow you to view the selections from wherever you sit on the first floor. The feeling you get when sitting comfortably in the store, eating home-style food with great beer, is bar none. One of the regular food  items to try would be the hamburg steak, which is nothing short of amazing with how juicy and tender the meat is. During our visit, they happened to have a whole leg of parma ham, so lucky us! 

The whole parma ham would have been quite the sight.

Of course, no beer store visit would be complete without raiding its loot corner. With this visit, you could also be a proud owner of your own Minoh Beer monkey mascot, featured on a delightful collection of shirts, coasters, cups, and much more. Should it be a struggle to decide on what to get, you may also leave it up to luck! They have a gachapon machine stocked with pins featuring designs of their core beers as well as the monkey. 

Bringing home our troupe of monkeys.

The Minoh “Baton” Series 

With a starkly different look from the regular Minoh beers, the Minoh Baton beers aim to wow you with its intricate flavour profile. You might be familiar with how a baton is a short stick or tube passed from runner to runner in a relay race. Similarly, the Baton beer goes through a relay process during its production. The beer is initially aged in a stainless steel tank, before being transferred to a Foeder (Pronounced as Food-er) to interact with the yeasts and lactic acid bacteria for about seven to thirteen months. Finally, the beer is bottled, and the bottle fermentation process continues. The label design is inspired by the three fermentation points, expressed as invisible batons. With bottles popping up in the market from February 2022, it is definitely something to go for!

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During our recent visit, we tried the two newest Baton releases. First, we had the BATON No.007, which is based on a Belgian witbier with an added tinge of ginger. Interestingly, the gingers were sourced from a quaint farm named Homemakers which is located on Shodoshima (Shōdo Island), within Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. As someone who enjoys ginger flavours, the beer speaks for itself: The hype is real, go try it! Super drinkable and enjoyable for an afternoon swig. 

The next one, BATON No.008, would be a charmer for wine enjoyers. This time, the magical ingredients are grapes from the Domaine Oyamada winery, which is based in Katsunuma, a town within the Yamanashi Prefecture. Fermentation is purely done using the wild yeasts found on the grape skins, which results in a light and gentle beer. Past experiences and lessons culminate in the production of their grape ale, Oyamada Berries, which nails the “wine, but beer” feeling.

Minoh Falls 

If you are concerned that you would be absorbing too many calories that day, look no further than Minoh Falls. An easy way to integrate this into your beer trip is to take a nice stroll up during the late morning, and then head back down for a pint. Minoh Beers are available at individual stores at the start of the hiking trail as well as the end where the waterfall is.

Whether you're a seasoned craft beer (enthusiast) or just someone who enjoys a solid pint, a visit to Minoh Beer Warehouse is worth the detour from Osaka. Between the laid-back vibe, inventive seasonal brews, and the monkey, there's something here for every kind of drinker. Take heed: once you’ve had a taste of Minoh Beer, you’ll probably start looking for that monkey everywhere you go.

Contributed by Edward.

PS. If you've had a great experience at a bar, a brewery, a distillery - really anywhere you had a solid time and an equally solid drink - step forward and share your experience! Sharing is where it's at! Drop us your story at hi88bamboo@gmail.com!