Kanazawa Brewery

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Kanazawa Brewery has been offering craft beers since 2015. Typically, craft breweries use dry yeast that doesn't require pre-fermentation, or use purchased yeast. However, Kanazawa Brewery uses fresh and meticulously cultivated yeast, grown at the brewery.

Using fresh yeast, beers offered at Kanazawa Brewery have delightful aroma. With a strong reputation, they opened a second factory on the Noto Peninsula in 2023. The earthquake shaking Noto Peninsula in January 2024 caused some damage to their equipment, but they finally restored operations in April and have since ramped up production. They are planning to start factory tours and open tasting spaces within the second facility.

Yuka Suzumori, the founder of Kanazawa Brewery, was surprised by the fruity flavor of craft beer she had when studying abroad in Canada. Unlike the bitter beer from major Japanese companies she was used to, the craft beer was enjoyable like juice. Suzumori was never a fan of beer before but soon became fascinated by the world of craft beer after this encounter.

Noto Island Brewery

During her stay in Canada, Suzumori actively explored various regions, visited numerous establishments, and participated in beer-related events. Upon returning to Japan, she realized the craft beer market was already thriving in the Kanto area. But when she turned to Ishikawa Prefecture, craft beer had yet to gain traction and there wasn’t a brewery in Kanazawa. She embarked on a journey to start a brewery in Kanazawa, to introduce Kanazawa locals to the taste of craft beer.

Suzumori started to learn beer brewing as an apprentice at a brewery in Tokyo. She studied with seven other apprentices, all of them sharing the passion to uplift their hometown with craft beer. They visited each other's breweries, reunited at events, and shared information with their business partners. Even today, these connections remain strong. Suzumori explored restaurants that serve unique craft beers and visited well known brewers to explore the beer she would want to produce.

Through these explorations, Suzumori came to understand the importance of yeast in beer brewing. Only fresh and active yeast can propel the fermentation process, and using a variety of yeasts broadens the flavor spectrum. She decided to cultivate their own yeasts at her brewery, and with guidance of brewing experts, now over 20 different yeast strains are cultivated at Kanazawa Brewery. This cultivation process contributes to the rich flavors of Kanazawa beers.

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Yuka Suzumori, Managing Director

I rediscovered Kanazawa's beauty, rooted in its long history when I was studying in Canada. Kanazawa is known for its historic and picturesque streets and beautiful traditional crafts, but also the combination of tradition with innovation makes Kanazawa a uniquely attractive city.

I particularly want to emphasize the abundance of delicious food available in Kanazawa. Ocean, mountains, and rivers surrounding Kanazawa provide varieties of fresh and delicious ingredients.

Therefore, Kanazawa Brewery emphasizes creating beers that pair well with a variety of dishes, especially local Kanazawa cuisine. In addition to our regular offerings, we always introduce original products, such as beers using local agricultural products and beers created in collaborations with local businesses, restaurants, and educational institutions.

We aspire to become an integral part of the community, so our beers are named after names of local places and our packaging design uses traditional Japanese Mizuhiki patterns. We also started initiatives towards upcycling and recycling.

Kanazawa Brewery's four staple beers utilize yeast cultivated in-house, ensuring fresh and rich aroma derived from the yeast. We would love you to try them.

Our products are widely available in many local restaurants across Ishikawa Prefecture, we hope you will enjoy them alongside the region's rich culinary offerings. We look forward to welcoming you to Ishikawa Prefecture.