Enjoy the long autumn nights with carefully selected craft beer! ｜10 recommended by Hakuba skiers

Today, as I feel relieved that autumn has arrived, I realized that this year's (2023) Harvest Moon is on September 29th (Friday).
Why not enjoy the long autumn nights with craft beer while thinking about the new snowy mountain season that will arrive in just two months? STEEP has introduced craft beers from snowy countries, but this time, we'll introduce snowboarder Kenji Kato, who is rumored to be drinking the most craft beers in the Hakuba area, and THE NORTH FACE GRAVITY HAKUBA staff member Sho Shimizu. We asked these two sake connoisseurs, who have similar physiques, to tell us about some of the best sake brands.

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Kenji Kato's Best 5 selections

Carpe Noctem | Vertere _

VATERE brews craft beer with just the right amount of flavor in the laid-back atmosphere of Okutama. This is a collaboration with Australia's Mountain Culture Beer Co. Oat Cream Hazy IPA is a juicy beer with a creamy mouthfeel that will have you gulping after gulp, as the name suggests.

[VERTRE] http://verterebrew.com/
VERTERE is a small brewery located in Okutama, Tokyo. Along with Okutama's rich greenery, pleasant air, and clean water, they brew beer at their own pace, focusing on who, where, and how to drink it.

Akane Red Ale｜Mugi Chikubo

Mugi Kobo, a microbrewery located in Ogawa-machi, Saitama Prefecture, makes beer using ingredients grown in-house and from local organic farms. It's quite crowded here. I like how the materials are made from scratch, which makes it feel like a garage brand board. For example, they are constantly releasing beers with a mindset that overlaps with the craftsmanship of snowboards. New releases always have a concept that excites me. I definitely want to drink it.

[Wheat Grain Workshop]　 https://www.craft-beer.net/
A brewery founded in 2003 in Ogawa-cho, a town rich in nature and surrounded by the rural landscape of Soto-Chichibu. There is also a tap room attached, and as a small beer shop in town, you can casually enjoy beer and a food menu made with locally sourced ingredients.

BOOG FOOT｜TAKAO beer　

TAKAO Beer is located at the foot of Mt. Takao, Tokyo's Holy Mountain. Beer brewing that is rooted in the local area, such as delivering beer by bicycle and recycling discarded malt scum into the fields, is paying off. In particular, “BIG FOOT” is a mixed culture beer with apparel brand Tacoma Fuji Records. Cold IPA, which can be said to be a rebellion against the mainstream, is an exquisite beer that makes you want to sing "I can't stop, I can't stop".

[TAKAO BEER] https://www.takaobeer.com/A
town at the foot of Mt. Takao, a popular hiking spot in Tokyo. A beer maker started from scratch by local residents. Wheat, hops, fruits, spices, and yeast. We use a lot of raw materials from surrounding areas where we can identify the creators, and the beer lees produced during the manufacturing process is reused as compost and feed. The aim is to produce beer in a circular manner with no waste. Another feature is that outdoor sports, music, and art are reflected in beer making.

Gift｜Himitsu Beer

A brewery in Mie Prefecture that started in 2022. It's a secret beer because it's a beer that you want to keep as a "secret" to other people. No, this is a beer that I want to share with everyone. The farmhouse ale here is especially delicious. Will this “” gift commemorate their 2nd anniversary or not? A plentiful hop DDH (double dry hop) made with a relaxed theme. Ah, I want to drink it again.

[HIMITSU BEER]　 https://www.instagram.com/himitsu_beer/A
brewery launched in 2022 by brewers classmates in Ise, Mie Prefecture. The origin of the name ``Secret Beer'' comes from the hope that people will spread the word about how good it is and tell their loved ones, ``This is a secret, but I'll tell you!'' We are working on sake brewing with the concept of ``We are a brewery that creates a place to be. We cultivate the soil, sow seeds, cultivate culture, and cultivate the climate. We deliver beer that makes you feel the dynamism of life.''

Chaco | Pacific Brewing

A brewery in Chigasaki, Shonan, with roots in Nagano. Even though it's only the second year, it's cool. This is essential! The owner, Riku-kun, has experience walking long trails in America, and the brewery is filled with his backstory of mountains and travels. The beers produced by Nice Guys and Girls are surprisingly delicious no matter what you drink. This "Chaco" is an exquisite West Coast IPA that captures the current IPA trends! If you drink this, maybe you don't need to drink anything else? It was a taste that even made me think.

[Passific Brewing ] https://www.instagram.com/passificbrewing/?hl=ja
"A brewery that travels with beer across the ocean and mountains." The reason why the word "Passific" in Pacific is spelled with an S is said to be derived from the English word "pass" which means "pass". Based in Chigasaki, Shonan, they brew beer while cherishing connections with local cities.

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Sho Shimizu's Best 5 selections

original｜son of THE SMITH

Sanova Smith's flagship "original" is a hard cider produced by Hakase, a brewing mad scientist from Maruko (currently Ueda City, formerly Maruko Town), using apples grown with care in Omachi City and Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The sourness of apples and the soft nuances of sake yeast will hit your flushed body when you want to feel refreshed. We do everything ourselves, from apple production to brewing, making this a true craft drink. The alcoholic beverages that Hakase comes up with are not limited to cider, but include beer, wine, and distilled spirits. With his ideas overflowing from his knowledge and experience, he creates one after another a new genre of alcoholic beverages.

[son of THE SMITH]　 https://hardcider.shop-pro.jp/
Sanova Smith was born as a joint and gypsy cider between Ozawa Orchard in Omachi and Miyajima Apple Garden in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture.

"Hard cider" is a low-malt beer made from apples. Alcohol has long been loved by people in the United States, which is home to many apple-producing regions. Based on the influences and ideas received from a trip to HARD CIDER/CRAFTBEER in Oregon, USA in 2015, we are producing original HARD CIDER, handling everything from concept design to commercialization in-house.

YAMATOUMI batch No: 3｜Yamatoumi｜

Shinanomachi and Kamakura. When she first drank the gin, which was made from a large amount of herbs grown with great care and sweat by a cool, nice middle-aged man from two locations, her first impression was, ``It tastes like a field!'' A herb field appears before your eyes. No matter when the bottle is released, the botanicals will burst in your mouth, making you wonder, "Is this gin?" There are so many ways to divide it that even though you want to drink it carefully, it runs out quickly. It's produced in small quantities every time, so if you find it, keep it!

[Yamatomi] https://www.instagram.com/yamatoumi_farm_and_distill/YAMATOUMI
is a distillery founded in Shinanomachi, on the shores of Lake Nojiri in northern Nagano Prefecture, in a renovated 145-year-old traditional house. They obtained a spirits manufacturing license in February 2023 and are making distilled spirits using many homegrown herbs.

Black Sword｜Yorocco

Did you get that much gulp of dark beer? Was it this delicious? A shocking cup of black IPA. When I drank it for the first time, I panicked a bit, haha. It has a roasted, chewy texture, but as the name suggests, it has a sharp taste. It's just delicious! Not only Black Sword, but all the beers made by Yorokko have a strong character and pack a punch. As per the brand concept of "Drink Local," we are a brewery with roots in the region, producing beers brewed using "local fruits and hops."

[YOROCCO BEER] https://yorocco-beer.stores.jp/Yorocco
Beer opened in Zushi in 2012. While increasing production little by little, they relocated to Kamakura in 2019, where they are now.

Thug Life｜Barbaric Works

More than Pale Ale and less than IPA. But isn't it already an IPA? It's so easy to drink that the hops come through. It goes "wow" and goes right in, but the hop aroma still lingers. The creators have a strict appearance and strong characters, but on the inside they are all delicate, kind, and nice guys. This is a beer that reflects the creator's character.

[ Barbaric WORKS ] https://barbaricworks.stores.jp/A
brewery that has been operating in Chigasaki, Shonan since 2016, with the theme of being close to various cultures. There is a brewpub "Gold'n Bub" attached, where beer from Barbaric works is served daily.

welcome to the jungle｜Matsumoto Brewery x yuyaboys

A collaboration beer between Matsumoto Brewery and Yuya Boys, a unit formed by Yuya Hayashi, the manager of Watering Hall, a beer bar in Yoyogi, Tokyo, and other managers from around the country. I don't know if it's Axl Rose or Slash, but the material dissolved in the liquid packs a punch and makes my mouth feel extremely noisy. However, it is well-organized and has a sense of groove. A fun drink that conveys high tension. I think you can probably shout after drinking. My mouth feels like I'm welcome to the jungle. In short, it's a tropical, bitter, and delicious beer.

[Matsumoto Brewery] https://matsu-brew.com/
Matsumoto was born in 2016 with the idea of ​​``I want to make you, the town, and myself healthy and happy with delicious beer'' and a ``thought'' for the region. Brewery.
We strive to create creative, high-quality craft beer.

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