Background
Kizakura Kyoto Bakushu is a craft beer brand created by Kizakura Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s most respected and long-established sake brewers. Founded in 1925 in Fushimi, Kyoto, Kizakura built its reputation on producing high-quality sake using the region’s famously soft and pure groundwater, known as “Fushimizu.” This same water, ideal for fermentation, would later become the foundation for Kizakura’s venture into beer brewing, a move that combined Japan’s traditional sake-making craftsmanship with modern beer innovation.
In the mid-1990s, following the deregulation of Japan’s brewing laws that allowed small-scale production, Kizakura became one of the first sake breweries to enter the craft beer market. Drawing on decades of fermentation expertise, the company launched Kyoto Bakushu (literally “Kyoto Craft Beer”) in 1995, aiming to create premium beers that reflected Kyoto’s refined taste and aesthetic. Unlike the major Japanese beer brands, which focused on mass production and light lagers, Kizakura’s beers were brewed in small batches using natural ingredients and techniques inspired by both European traditions and Japanese sensibility.
Kizakura’s brewery in Fushimi also serves as a tourist destination, featuring the Kizakura Kappa Country, a museum and restaurant where visitors can learn about both sake and beer production while enjoying fresh brews on tap. This integration of brewing heritage and hospitality reflects Kyoto’s spirit of craftsmanship and refinement.
Beer Reviews
The following are some of the beers we’ve had:
- Kizakura Kyoto Alt – A 5% altbier that is brewed using a traditional German recipe. Also offered as Kizakura Kyoto Bakushu Brown Ale in cans.
- Kizakura Kyoto Kura no Kahori – A 4% pale lager that uses Seishi sake yeast in the primary fermentation. Also offered as Kizakura Kyoto Bakushu Golden Ale in cans.
- Kizakura Kyoto Classic – A 4.5% Amber ale brewed using Saaz hops and also Iwai rice, a strain that is local to the Kyoto area.
- Kizakura Kyoto Kyoyasai Kamo Nasu – A 5% vegetable brewed using locally sourced aubergines, known as nasu in Japanese.
- Kizakura Kyoto Kyoyasai Kujonegi – A 5% vegetable brewed using locally sourced leeks, known as negi in Japanese.
- Kizakura Kyoto Lucky Cat – A 5% White Ale that is made with yuzu (citron) and sansho, a kind of Japanese pepper.
- Kizakura Kyoto Lucky Dog – A 5% pale ale that is unfiltered and made with rice and Cascade hops.
- Kizakura Kyoto Tanba no Kuromame – A 5% vegetable brewed using locally sourced black beans, known as kuro mame in Japanese.
Details
- Address : 223 Shioya-machi, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan 612-8046
- Phone : 075-611-8115
- Homepage : http://www.kizakura.co.jp/
- Online store : http://www.kizakura-shop.com
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
