Background
Otama Brewing is a brewery located in Sanwa-ku, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, a 15-minute drive from Joetsu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. The brewery opened in 2023 after the current brewer, who used to work in the IT industry, wanted to become a brewer, so he trained in beer and opened the brewery after inheriting the business of Omiya Shoten, a local liquor store in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.
The concept of Otama Brewing is “playful craft beer that is close to the drinker .” The brewer, Miyagawa-san, started Otama Brewing under the influence of American craft beer culture, so currently they brew American IPAs, American pale ales, and Cold IPAs, but in the future they plan to brew various beer styles, including Belgian. This all came about becauase of his visits to places such as Ushitora Brewery, the Craft Beer Market chain of bars, and finally Antenna America, an importer of American craft beer into Japan.
His idea is the comfortable atmosphere of the brewery and local community they experienced in Portland, Oregon. Miyagawa-san’s aim is to world-class craft beer in Joetsu City.
Beer Reviews
The following are some of the beers we’ve had:
- Otama 999 Saison – A 6% saison that uses locally grown rice alongside Citra and Mosaic hops.
- Otama Harumachi – A 6% hazy ipa brewed with Citra, Galaxy, and Idaho 7 hops. The name stems from ‘waiting for spring’ and ‘spring town’.
- Otama Magic Time – A 6% West Coast IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Warrior hops and is their first West Coast IPA.
- Otama Ume no Hana – A 6% hazy ipa made with sake lees from Yukichuume, a famous sake from the Joetsu region of Niigata Prefecture.
- Otama Yawa Yawa – A 5% American pale ale with its name taken from the local dialect for “take it easy”.
- Otama Yukiyama Weekender – A 5.5% cold IPA brewed with “Niji no Kirameki” rice from Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.
Details
- Address : 1702 Sanwaku Sueno Shinden, Joetsu, Niigata 942-0261
- Phone : 025-532-2608
- Homepage : https://www.otamabrewing.com/
- Online store : https://otamabrewing.stores.jp/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
