Matsumoto Brewery : At a Glance
- Opened : January 2018
- Japanese name : 松本ブルワリー (Matsumoto Brewery)
- Location : Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
- First beer : Matsumoto Beer
- Head brewer : Takumi Katsuyama (勝山 匠)
- Homepage : https://matsu-brew.com/
Table of Contents
Matsumoto Brewery : Background
Matsumoto Brewery was established in January 2016 with a fairly simple idea: Matsumoto should have a beer of its own. The brewery’s origins, however, go back several years earlier and are closely tied to the city’s cultural and craft-beer communities.
In 2013, volunteers involved with the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival created a temporary bar where visitors could enjoy craft beer while waiting for performances. The following year, the same group organised Beer Festival Shinshu in Matsumoto Castle Park. Around 16,000 people attended the first festival, increasing to approximately 20,000 in 2015. Despite the growing interest in craft beer, there was an obvious gap. There was no beer actually being brewed in Matsumoto. The response from the organisers was to stop waiting for one and create it themselves.
The brewery was subsequently established with the support of people involved in the local community and the Beer Festival Shinshu organisation. The company began selling three beers under its own brand in 2016, initially before its own brewery was operational. The brewery also opened its first directly operated taproom in Matsumoto that year. In 2017, the company received recognition under the government’s Regional Industrial Resource Utilisation programme and its brewing team completed a beer-brewing course at the National Research Institute of Brewing in Hiroshima.
The brewery’s own production facility in Nomizunishi was developed over the following two years. During the planning process, the team visited around 50 breweries in Japan and overseas, speaking with brewers and studying different approaches to brewing and brewery design. The resulting system was built around equipment from ABT (Allied Beverage Tanks) in Chicago and was customised for Matsumoto Brewery. The brewery began full-scale production in 2018, using a 15-barrel system capable of producing approximately 1,800 litres per brew.
A key figure in that development has been head brewer Takumi Katsuyama. Katsuyama first became interested in brewing after volunteering at the inaugural Beer Festival Shinshu in 2014. He subsequently worked at Shiga Kogen Beer’s TEPPA ROOM and OH!LA!HO BEER before travelling to Wisconsin in 2016 for brewing training at Great Dane Brewing. He trained under Rob LoBreglio, who later became a brewing adviser to him at the brewery. Katsuyama took responsibility for brewing when the company’s own brewery opened in 2018.
Location remains an important part of the brewery’s identity. Matsumoto sits beneath the Northern Alps and is surrounded by mountains, forests and abundant spring water. Matsumoto Brewery says it wants to make greater use of local malt, hops, fruit, honey and other ingredients where possible, with the aim of creating beers that reflect the character of the region.
The brewery’s activities have consequently extended beyond its core range. It has produced collaborations connected with local cultural events, outdoor activities and regional organisations, including projects around the Northern Alps and Matsumoto Yamaga FC. It has also continued developing its presence in the city through its taprooms. In 2023, additional fermentation tanks were installed as the brewery expanded its production capacity.
Matsumoto Brewery’s philosophy is summed up in its slogan, “Ale for you and raise Matsumoto”, with the Japanese word yell deliberately carrying both the meaning of beer and encouragement. For the brewery, beer is intended to be part of a wider connection between people, the city and its surrounding region. That idea has remained central to Matsumoto Brewery since the original question was asked in 2014: if Matsumoto did not have its own beer, why not make one?
Matsumoto Brewery : Beer Reviews
The following are some of the beers we’ve had:
- Matsumoto Artisanal Saison – A 5% saison that is brewed with Far Yeast Brewing.
- Matsumoto Castle Stout – A 6.5% stout that takes its name, and colour, from Matsumoto castle, which has stood in the area over 400 years.
- Matsumoto Session IPA – A 5% session IPA though the hops are the time of writing are unknown.
- Matsumoto Traditional Bitter – A 4% British bitter brewed to a traditional British recipe.
Matsumoto Brewery : Limited & Seasonal Reviews
The following are some of their limited and seasonal beers we’ve had :
- Matsumoto Entamepunk – a 4.5% hoppy lager created in connection with the 2026 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival.
- Matsumoto Meditation – an 8% double IPA brewed using Amarillo, Citra, El Dorado, and Columbus hops.
- Matsumoto Reincarnated Lush IPA – a 7.5% hazy IPA brewed using just two malts consisting of 2-row pilsner and honey malt, along with Cryo Citra, Mosaic, and regular Citra hops.
Matsumoto Brewery : Articles
The following are some of the articles we’ve done:
Matsumoto Brewery : Details
- Address : 2 Chome-11-20 Nomizonishi, Matsumoto, Nagano 399-0006
- Phone : 0263-31-0081
- Homepage : https://matsu-brew.com/
- Online store : https://shop.matsu-brew.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
