When you think of "drinking alcohol," many people probably think of "beer" first. In fact, Sapporo has a deep connection with beer, and there are many buildings that convey its history, including the oldest beer museum in Japan. Sapporo is also a sister city of Munich, Germany, one of the world's leading beer cities, and the beer garden held every year in Odori Park has become a well-established summer tradition.

Making Hokkaido the kingdom of craft beer

Located in the heart of Sapporo, next to Nijo Market, which is bustling with tourists every day, is Tsuki to Taiyo BREWING. The store was opened in 2014 by representative Yuji Moriya as a "brewpub" (a restaurant with a brewery), something that was still relatively unfamiliar at the time.

The concept is "To make Hokkaido a craft beer kingdom." From the classics to the unusual, "We want to spread the appeal of craft beer, which allows you to enjoy a wide variety of flavors, as a culture unique to this region." We visited Nobuta Yusuke, who is the manager of the main store and the second store, to ask about the charm of the store and its brewing.

"We aim to satisfy everyone, from those who don't like beer in the first place, to those who are new to craft beer, to those who love it, so we offer a diverse lineup of beers, from vibrant beers to powerful and flavorful beers and calm beers."

"Some people come from far away because they were recommended by people who came to our store once, so I'm glad that they like it," said Shinta, welcoming us with a smile. From his story, it seems that many people visit during their travels in search of homemade beer that reflects the charm of the region.

Brewed in-house, offering a wide variety of flavors

When the company first opened, the brewing space was located inside the main store, but in 2021 it was moved to a factory in Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, in order to expand the scale of the facilities. The Shiroishi factory has nine tanks for both fermenting and aging beer, and is equipped with an environment that can brew a total of 4,500 liters of beer.

At the factory, new flavors are constantly being created for each brewing session, and their determination to always offer a wide variety of flavors conveys their passion for letting people know the appeal of craft beer.

Commitment to bringing out the best flavor

The process of mixing the wort. Every step, including the mixing method and number of times, is done with great care.

At the brewery, where they are constantly striving to make the most of the ingredients, they use malt, hops, and fruit grown in the fertile soil of Hokkaido. As a company that aims to convey the charm of this region through beer, this is one of the essential aspects they are particular about. Depending on the style of beer they are aiming for, they also incorporate carefully selected ingredients from overseas, which allows them to achieve a wide variety of flavors.

Regarding the attention to detail in the brewing process, Shinta said, "The bitterness and aroma can change greatly depending on the type of malt and hops used, and the amount used. By carefully selecting malt that brings out the hop aroma and hops that don't have a strong bitterness, we are able to get closer to the taste we are aiming for as a brewery."

The pure taste without any unpleasant taste is appealing

Not only are they meticulously managing temperature and time, but they are also particular about every single step, such as how they mix the malt and how many times they mix it, and they take great care not to stress the staff when transporting the barrels from the factory to the store. All of this care leading up to the beer being served is what makes the beer so delicious.

"Moon and Sun Brewing" aims to have a pure taste without any unpleasant tastes. There are 10 types of beer that have been carefully selected to achieve deliciousness. In addition to the four standard beers, there are six beers that are changed irregularly and are lined up every day as the face of the store.

They also have a menu where you can try three or five different types of beer at a time, so it's great for when you want to sample a generous amount of your favorite beer, or when you want to enjoy a little bit of everything, making it a great place to drop in for any occasion.

Enjoy pairing with the bounty of the earth

Craft beer is great to savour on its own, but its flavour is enhanced when paired with food. The menu, created by the chefs, uses plenty of ingredients from Hokkaido, and the criteria for selection is "whether it tastes good with beer." You can enjoy a colorful menu that combines Japanese and Western styles and reflects the four seasons.

The classic "Pilsner" with a refreshing taste that is said to be popular among Japanese people goes well with gyoza and french fries (Kitaakari, Shadow Queen, and Northern Ruby are used). The "Pale Ale" with a good balance of sweetness and bitterness and the "IPA" with a strong punch go perfectly with meat dishes such as pate de campagne and spicy buffalo. You'll be busy with your hands as you bring the beer to your mouth, and it's inevitable that conversation will flow.

Choose your favorite drink from "Ichigo Ichie"

"Of course there are the standard beers, but limited edition beers that you can only drink at a certain place are truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As you drink various types of beer, there are times when you feel like 'I like this one' and, conversely, 'I don't like this one,' but all the encounters, including those experiences, are interesting," Shinta concluded.

Behind the deliciousness of the craft beer from Sapporo lies the skill and dedication of the artisans, as well as a pure and passionate desire for people to "find their favorite drink from the wide range of flavors available."

月と太陽BREWING（ブルーイング） 本店
電話番号：011-218-5311
住所：北海道札幌市中央区南3条東1丁目3番地 アルファ創成川公園ビル1階
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HP：https://moonsunbrewing.jp/
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