Outdoor Japan Minoh Beer, Osaka Imagine your dad decides to give you and your sister a brewery for Christmas. Sound like a dream? Well, in a nutshell, that’s pretty much what happened to Kaori and Mayuko Oshita, whose father Masaji, a prosperous liquor store operator looking to branch out, decided in 1997 to build a brewery and put his daughters in charge.

Of course, dad keeps a strong rein on the business and keeps an eye out for prospective suitors who may be more interested in his daughters’ business than becoming a good husband and father. I am sure more than a few men would love to marry into a lifetime supply of beer, especially if it is Minoh Beer, one of the best beers in Kansai if not the entire country.

Their beers range from the orthodox (lager, pale ale, stout) to the daring (double IPA, imperial stout, Belgian ale) to the just plain outrageous (chocolate stout for Valentine’s day, Cabernet ale, and two kinds of hemp beer—Hemp High and Ganja High).

While it is possible to tour the brewery, the best places to enjoy Minoh Beer are the three Osaka restaurants run by the company; the original Beer Belly in Tosabori, the newer Edobori Beer Belly and the Kagayaki Izakaya, not far from the brewery in Minoh City.

I am sure the Osaka “Hash” (a.k.a. the “drinking club with a running problem”) has frequented these locations on a number of occasions. In addition, there is a long list of pubs throughout Japan that serve Minoh Beer; see their Website (Japanese only) for a list.

The Minoh Beer site also offers various configurations of Minoh Beer sets for home delivery.

Beer Belly, 1-1-30 Tosabori, Nishi-ku, Osaka;
大阪市西区土佐堀1-1-30　大阪リバービル1Ｆ
Phone; (06) 6441-0717

Beer Belly, Edobori, 2-1-21 Edobori, Nishi-ku, Osaka
大阪市西区江戸堀2-1-21ファミール江戸堀1F
Phone; (06) 6445-6366

Kagayaki, 2-1-33 Minoh, Minoh City, Osaka;
大阪府箕面市箕面2-1-33
Phone (072) 720-6699

A.J.I. Minoh Beer／エイ・ジェイ・アイ・ビア
3-9-11 Makiochi, Minoh City, Osaka 562-0004
大阪府箕面市牧落3-9-11
Phone; (072) 725-7234
www.minoh-beer.jp

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