Niigata's craft beer roots

I attended the Niigata Oktoberfest event recently, and was mainly expecting a weekend of beer, food, and a bit of German-inspired fun. What I didn't expect was to come away having learned something new about Niigata itself!

I discovered that Niigata Prefecture is considered the birthplace of Japan's craft beer industry. I've lived in Niigata for years now, so I was slightly embarrassed that this was news to me! Naturally, after the festival, I did a little more digging.

The craft beer story here dates back to the early 1990s, when local breweries began experimenting with small-scale beer production as regulations around beer production changed. The prefecture went on to become home to a growing number of independent breweries, helped by excellent water (also a factor in the sake production industry!), agricultural produce, and long brewing traditions.

It certainly gave me a new appreciation for the local beers I was sampling at Oktoberfest!