Momoyo Kagitani, the sole full-time employee at Locobeer, probably doesn't fit most people's image of a head brewer. Then again, compared to the breweries Cultivating Craft has profiled so far, Locobeer, located in a neighborhood liquor shop in suburban Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, might come as a shock, too.
Launched in 1998 by Chiba-based alcohol retailer ShimoR to take advantage of the changes in beer production laws, Locobeer was initially seen as a way to save money, bring in customers and boost sales. Having chosen a course, the next step was to find a brewer.
"I was working at the cosmetics counter of one of the shops when the company president asked me to become his head brewer," Kagitani says. "I was 21 years old, and I didn't really like or dislike beer, though I wasn't fond of bitter beers. I wasn't sure what to think. I had always wanted to try something new," she continues, "and I knew I might never get another chance like this."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.