Page 33 - Thirst Magazine Issue 2 June 2017

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1. New labelling
machine.
2. Kaori with
proud father
Oshita Masaji at
The International
Brewing
On December 15th, 2012, Oshita Masaji Awards 2011
passed away. 11 craft breweries, including 3. Packaging
Minoh, created tribute beers that represented is still done
their memories of the much respected icon. The manually.
initiative, called the Masaji Beer Project, was 4. Announcement
held in March 2013, a 3-day event of tastings, of the 20th
anniversary party
masterclasses and celebrations around their
tribute beers. Every year since then, some of EXPORT
the breweries will brew a seasonal Masaji Beer
Project beer for release in December, around Due to their current capacity and high demand
the anniversary of Masaji’s passing. within Japan, Minoh presently only exports
As the business grew, Kaori needed extra regularly to Singapore, and occasionally to
help so she asked Mayuko, the second sister other countries for special events. Eastern Craft
who was then studying in Australia to assist Singapore started to import Minoh’s beers in
in the family business. Freshly graduated in 2012, and Minoh only has enough stock to do
2000, Mayuko took up the responsibility of so twice a year. Head down to Jibiru at 313
assisting her sister with brewing, bottling and Orchard, Takumi at Mandarin Orchard, or to
labelling. At that time, everything was done various bars and bottle shops whenever the
manually in the small brewery in the Mino-o beers arrive in Singapore. Stock is limited and
residential neighbourhood, where the brewery usually sell out fast!
still operates to this day. The brewery is celebrating their 20th
In August 2015, a bottling machine with anniversary on 10th & 11th June 2017 at the
a capacity of up to 2,400 bottles per hour was park in front of the brewery. (Minoh beer 20th
installed in the brewhouse. Labelling remains anniversary foundation Thanksgiving)
a manual process done in the warehouse.
With the increase in capacity to 450,000 litres minoh-beer.jp
per year, Minoh opened the Minoh Beer 4
Warehouse in October 2015, a neighbourhood
bar with 10 taps that also sell bottles and
Minoh merchandise. Other than beer, the
sisters’ mother Itsuko Oshita makes jams and
sauces with the ingredients from brewing (for
example, the yuzu juice is made into ponzu
while the peels are used in brewing).
The third sister, Nozomi Katsumi, finally
joined the siblings in 2010, manning the
office for the brand. Kaori has always been
leading the brewery and has taken up the role
of taking care of the business ever since the
father passed away.

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