Ushiku Brewery, located inside the premises of Chateau Kamiya, is a brewery situated in Ushiku, Ibaraki prefecture. To make things even more complicated, it’s a subdivision of alcohol producer Gôdô Shusei, which is also a part of the company of Oenon Holdings, Inc. The best analogy I can think of is the Russian dolls and how they fit inside of each other. Ushiku Brewery first started making beer in 1996, just after the Japanese government loosened its restrictions on the brewing licenses and were the first craft beer brewery to open in Ibaraki. However, before Ushiku Beer opened to the public, the original brewers were sent to Europe to learn about brewing techniques and styles; specifically those from Austria, Belgium, and the Czech Republic, and as such, their original styles of beer are dominated by those three countries.
Ushiku Brewery Main Lineup
The following beers are considered to be part of Ushiku Brewery’s all-year round selection and can be found in bottles or on tap at the onsite pubs and restaurants:
- Chateau Kamiya Helles – A 5% helles style beer brewed using traditional German style techniques.
- Chateau Kamiya Dunkel – A 5% dunkel (dark) beer that is brewed using techniques from both Germany and Czech styles.
- Chateau Kamiya Pilsner – A 5% pilsner that is brewed using German hops rather than Czech Saaz hops.
Ushiku Brewery Seasonal Lineup
The following beers rotate throughout the year and may not appear every year due to changing schedules. This will be expanded as we drink more of their beers.
- Chateau Kamiya Akiagari – Brewed for Autumn and the falling of the leaves, it’s a 5% märzen style beer.
- Chateau Kamiya Brown Ale – A 5% American brown ale that goes on sale from August/September time.
- Chateau Kamiya Golden Ale – A 5% golden ale that is part of their spring seasonal line up.
- Chateau Kamiya Weizen – a 5% spring seasonal from Ushiku Brewery that is on sale from mid April until stocks last though with a shelf life of less than three months.
- Chateau Kamiya IPA – A 7% American IPA that goes on sale in late spring.
- Chateau Kamiya IPL – A 7% take on an India Pale Lager that goes on sale from late spring.
Ushiku Brewery Details
Address: 3-21-4 Chuo Ushiku-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan 300-1234
Phone: 029-871-1172
Homepage (in Japanese): http://www.ch-kamiya.jp/
Online store (on Rakuten): http://www.rakuten.co.jp/chateau-kamiya/
Articles With Ushiku Brewery
Interview with Kakui-san, head brewer: https://beertengoku.com/2015/09/interview-kakui-san-chateau-kamiya/
How to Get to Ushiku Brewery
Take a JR Joban line train to Ushiku Station and Chateau Kamiya is about a ten-minute walk away.
