Craft Beer Tourism in Japan - MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB, Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture

This is a beautiful, nature-rich area. As you travel along the Chuo Expressway, which cuts through the center of the region, you can see the Southern Alps to your left and the Yatsugatake Mountains to your right. Located at the southern tip of Hokuto City, about a five-minute drive from the Sudo Interchange, is MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB (Manchin Brewery).

MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB
Address: 2 Asao Shinden, Akeno-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture

On Google Maps, it appeared to be facing a relatively wide road, but when I actually arrived, I found that while it is a well-maintained prefectural road, the surroundings are a peaceful, rural area. It is not densely populated with houses, yet they are not so sparse that I would describe them as "scattered." In this landscape, the brewery—a former factory—possesses quite a distinct presence. It is quite a distance from the nearest station, so if you are using public transportation, it seems you would need to take a bus from Nirasaki Station.

The brewery shares a parking lot with the adjacent art gallery, GASBON METABOLIC, and there were several cars parked there that day. Since I visited without any prior knowledge, I initially peeked into the art gallery thinking it was the brewing area, but a staff member there kindly guided me, explaining that the brewery was actually next door.

The building features rugged white walls, a wide frontage, and large glass windows and doors. The grids are made of inorganic iron, and given that it was originally a factory, it has an industrial atmosphere that is somewhat reminiscent of Brooklyn. When I opened the heavy iron door, the space ahead opened up. On the left were large refrigerators and a counter; on the right were glass bottles of alcohol and miscellaneous goods. The back of the shop is raised by about one meter, accessible by stairs: straight ahead is the brewing area, and in the back right is the annexed Chinese restaurant, "Manchinbao." The atmosphere is that of a neighborhood "town Chinese" restaurant, but the menu looks quite authentic. I couldn't eat there due to time constraints, but even while I was choosing my beer, several groups of customers were walking in.

The beers I was looking for were lined up in the refrigerators. There were many craft beers using local ingredients that take advantage of Yamanashi’s rich natural environment, such as blueberries, mint, and cucumber, as adjuncts.

That day, I picked up three items: Awa Hana ("Foam Flower"), a collaboration beer with Falling Piano Brewing; NEW COLONY FARMHOUSE ALE (Farmhouse Ale is a style said to be close to Saison, according to DIG THE LINE); and Local Tool RYE IPA, a collaboration with the Komae City, Tokyo, beer bar Spicarbo.

As you can see, there were so many options in the refrigerator that I had trouble deciding. It seemed to me that they adopt a method of maintaining standard items while cycling through a relatively large number of products over a short period. The can label designs are also of high quality, which I think is a strategy that makes you look forward to your next visit.

MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB: Craft Beer Tourism Starting from Hokuto City, Yamanashi

There are other breweries in the same area of Hokuto City, Yamanashi, such as UCHU BREWING and Yatsugatake Brewery.

• UCHU BREWING is just off the second exit when heading toward Nagano on the Chuo Expressway, the Kobuchisawa IC. It is located inside "Michi-no-Eki Kobuchisawa" (Roadside Station). It is about a 30-minute drive from MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB.
• Yatsugatake Brewery is a long-established craft brewery with brewing facilities in the basement of "ROCK," a restaurant in Moeginomura near Kiyosato Station. ROCK serves "Yatsugatake Beer Touchdown" as a restaurant with an attached brewery. This is also about a 30-minute drive from MANGOSTEEN BREWING LAB.

Breweries are scattered throughout Yamanashi Prefecture. About 30 minutes away heading back toward Tokyo on the Chuo Expressway, in Kofu City, is Outsider Brewing's brewpub, "Hops And Herbs" (though please note there is no parking as it is in a shopping district). In Koshu City, there is IWAI BREWERY, which you can reach in about 40 minutes by car.