Kyoto Women’s Beer Chronicles: The Horino Memorial Museum & Kyoto Machiya Brewery

Of course, the above description is embellished with a bit of advertising flair, but in the heart of a beer lover, eagerness is the prelude to deliciousness. It’s this full sensory experience that makes it even tastier. The only thing that gets Kyoto locals as rowdy as Japanese office workers might just be a refreshing, ice-cold beer in the summer.

 

Famous waters brew famous sake. Southern Kyoto’s Fushimi district is one of Japan’s most renowned sake-producing regions. It was once written as “Fushimizu” (literally “hidden water”) because of the underground springs hidden beneath. Its pure, sweet water is especially suited for brewing, making it the birthplace of Japanese sake. Well-known brands like Kiku Masamune, Gekkeikan, and Matsuyama are all Fushimi sakes. The dozens of premium water sources in the area have given rise to countless classics. Since ancient times, there’s been a saying in Japan: “Sandy (Nada) men’s sake, Fushimi women’s sake.” This refers to the two major sake-producing regions — Nada in Hyogo Prefecture, known for its bold, masculine-style sake, and Fushimi, whose sake is delicate and feminine. Fushimi sake is smooth and elegant, very much in the style of a refined Kyoto woman. And in the world of Japanese beer, there’s also “Kyoto women’s beer” to match. And yes, it’s actually brewed by women from Kyoto.

“At first I thought I had applied for a waitressing job at a restaurant, but when I arrived, I found out I’d be brewing beer!” laughed Miyoshi Chizuko, factory manager and master brewer (Beer Meister) at the Kyoto Machiya Brewery. The Kinshimasamune Horinosyuzo brewery was established in 1781. Before relocating to Fushimi in 1880, the original brewery used the “Momoi” spring, which shared a water vein with one of Japan’s three most famous springs, “Somei.” Momoi was the best water source for producing sake. After the brewery moved south, the original site, located south of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, retained the style of a traditional Kyoto townhouse from the late Edo to early Meiji periods. In 1995, the Horino Memorial Museum was opened on the original site, allowing visitors to explore historic buildings such as the original Horino family residence, a 230-year-old library, and the Tenmei cellar that showcases a century of brewing craftsmanship. In 1997, the Kyoto Machiya Brewery was established next to the museum. It is currently Kyoto’s only local beer brand developed and brewed by female artisans. “For 230 years, the Horino Brewery has had men brewing sake. In fact, the majority of sake breweries are the same, as women simply can’t handle the heavy physical labor involved. But when the owner of Horino Brewery visited a German brewery where women were involved in brewing, they thought, ‘If it’s beer, maybe women can do it too,’ and so they began the ‘Kyoto women’s beer’ project,” explained Factory Manager Miyoshi.

 

So where exactly would they brew the beer? The Fushimi brewery had the famed “Tokoyama Spring,” but after the move, the Momoi spring was no longer used. What if they used it to brew beer?

In fact, although the abundant waters of Momoi laid a solid foundation for the Horino Brewery, the eventual relocation to Fushimi was also for the water. Sake is primarily brewed with hard water, as it tends to produce a fuller flavor. Fushimi water is medium-hard, and the sake brewed with it is considered soft and smooth — a “women’s sake.” Momoi water, with only two-thirds the hardness of Fushimi water, might be even more suitable for making beer, which has a shorter brewing process and emphasizes smoothness. “At first, I think they hired me because of my German language skills, and I ended up learning how to brew beer by chance. I was even sent to a brewery in Germany for training, and the more I did it, the more interested I became. Now, I’ve developed a whole series of local beers full of Kyoto flavors, and we’ve even taken on new female apprentices. Of course, they’re also Kyoto women,” said Factory Manager Miyoshi.

The three classic local beers — Kyoto Machiya Beer, Kyoto Heian Beer, and Kyoto Hanamachi Beer — are all brewed with Momoi water. Overall, they fall within the low-hop flavor preferred by Japanese people: light, smooth, and with a creamy foam that filters out bitterness, leaving behind only a refreshing sensation as it goes down your throat and a rich aroma filling your mouth. Kyoto Machiya Beer is made using the traditional brewing method of Germany’s Kölsch region, blending barley and wheat malts and cold-maturing them. It has a refreshing acidity, with fruity hop aromas and crisp malt flavors perfectly balanced on the tongue, giving it an old-world charm. Kyoto Hanamachi Beer uses the German Altbier brewing method, with an amber hue and a sweet, malt-like aroma. “When making this beer, I thought: what should Kyoto’s ‘hanamachi’ (entertainment districts) taste like? I decided it should be as charming as red wine. So I made a beer with red wine flavors,” explained Factory Manager Miyoshi. The honey sweetness on the palate and the full-bodied texture are probably what she meant by “red wine flavor.” Kyoto Heian Beer is an English-style Stout, made with roasted malt for a strong, bitter taste. “Heian-kyo” (the old name for Kyoto) was anything but peaceful, but compared to the bold, edgy black beers popular abroad, Heian Beer is much more refreshing and easy to drink. There’s an old Japanese saying: “Eastern men, Kyoto women.” It describes how men from the Kanto region are bold and masculine, while women from Kyoto are graceful and feminine — the ideal of male admiration. So does beer brewed by Kyoto women have the same allure as Cuban cigars rolled on a young woman’s thigh?