On the hunt for Osaka’s best craft beer…Introducing 3 of my favorites!

Life is always better with a glass of delicious beer in hand! And there is more to Japanese beer than Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin. While these are the standard brands you might find in a Japanese restaurant overseas, the local craft beer scene in Japan is booming. And Osaka is no exception. We’ve got around 10 brew pubs in the city and a huge variety of other bars and bottle shops that specialize in craft beer.

Here are a few that I would recommend. And beyond beer, they also have a nice bar menu. So stop in for a meal and linger long enough to try more than one of their great brews. You’ll probably want to take a few bottles home with you to share with your craft-beer loving friends or to recall the flavors of your trip once you’ve gone back home.

Award-winning & uniquely delicious brews from Craft Beer Base, Mother Tree

Operating in Osaka since 2012, these craft beer fanatics know exactly what they are doing. The pub/bottle shop/brewery located near Umeda Sky Building, is warm and welcoming. Bar seating allows you to sit close to the friendly and knowledgeable bartenders who will give you every last detail about what’s on tap. Or if you want to be close to the brewing tanks, grab a seat at one of the cozy tables.

The ten different house-brewed beers on tap feature an amazing variety of innovative and well-balanced flavors. I tried the award-winning Lavender & Chamomile Golden Ale (which was out of this world), the spicy and complex Wu-Xiang Fen Red Ale, the rich Smokey Amber Ale with Kampot Pepper, and the Autumn Ale with a Scent of Kinmokusei (those beautiful orange fragrant olive blossoms that bloom in Autumn). Everything I drank was completely unique and delicious to the last drop.

The pub also has a number of import ales on tap and a great food menu as well, featuring sausages, pizzas, roast meats and more. I went with the fried fish, which was perfectly crispy and complimented with an herb-infused tartar sauce. The staff can recommend food pairings for whatever you’re drinking and many of them speak English or at least can provide an English menu.

And did I mention, it’s incredibly close to Umeda Sky Building? This is a great place to stop for dinner and a few drinks after visiting this architectural wonder. And the value was top-notch. Craft Beer pubs can be pricey, but this one delivers delicious drink and food at an affordable price. Plus, they have an extensive collection of beer for take-away, including their own beer as well as bottles from other domestic craft brewers.

Where it is: One block from Umeda Sky Building. Accessible from Osaka/Umeda Stations or Nakatsu Station on the Osaka Metro or Hankyu Railway.
Notes: Try their beer at 2 other locations, Craft Beer Base Bud in B2 floor of Osaka Ekimae Building 1 & Craft Beer Base Branch in B2 floor of the Umeda Hanshin Department Store.

Official website
Map & further info

Local brews with a gorgeous view, at MARCA

This brewery was a newcomer to the Osaka craft beer scene in 2015 and they have come a long way since. Brewed locally in Osaka, you can try their beer at the MARCA beer stand in Tugboat Taisho, an open-air dining and drinking location that has a stylish rustic atmosphere and great views of the sunset.

MARCA’s tap selection varies, but usually includes something light, something dark, a few pale ales, IPAs, and a sprinkling of fruity options. It’s always a surprise to see what’s in the lineup and the bartenders are happy to give recommendations from the approximately 10 ever-changing options. Everything looks and tastes good so you’ll want to get more than one. And if you like to try new things, I recommend the 4-drink beer flight so you can taste and compare to find your favorite. The brews are a selection of solid craft beers with a few interesting combinations like the Mango Shake IPA, Rye Weizen, and Hazy Mint.

While MARCA doesn’t serve food, there are plenty of options at Tugboat Taisho that go great with craft beer. Choose from the selection of kitchens serving gourmet burgers, takoyaki, tempura, and a whole lot more. Aside from the few distinct restaurant areas on the premises, the seating at Tugboat is mixed so you can grab a dish, appetizer, or dessert and of course a glass of craft beer, or two. Tugboat is especially convenient when you want pizza, but someone else wants karaage, and yet someone else wants Korean.

Where it is: In Tugboat Taisho, a trendy riverside dining and drinking complex located near JR Taisho, Dome-mae Chiyozaki Station on the Osaka Metro, or Hanshin Dome-mae Station.
Notes: The tap selection changes frequently so look forward to trying something new!

Official website
Map & further info

Family vibes & homemade bar food at Imazato Craft Cafe

This family run pub feels like a home away from home. The owners Matt and Yoshie welcome you in with a smile and a cold glass of beer. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, and with the handful of parlor games on hand you can drum up extra fun and excitement. The conversation is always free flowing and it’s easy to make a new friend here. It’s very popular with the expat crowd and many of the customers know a lot about Osaka.

Matt will give you the run-down on what’s on tap for the week and recommend something you’re sure to like. The well-balanced selection of 6ish beers includes some combination of imports, IPAs, stouts, and other ales. Plus, the menu is stacked with bar favorites favorites like pizza, burgers, and fried chicken. They’ve got the basic condiments on hand, but the really impressive add-ons are the homemade hot sauces or salts that Matt makes himself. The “hot honey with ghost pepper” set my mouth on fire in the pleasantest of ways. These items change regularly, so it’s always fun to taste what kind of culinary experiments the kitchen has been up to.

The pub also occasionally hosts bingo or pub quizzes so if you’re lucky you might catch a particulary lively night at this fun “craft cafe”. Also, despite this being a craft beer bar, families are very much welcomed when they visit. So even if you are traveling with kids, don’t be shy. Your kids will love the fries and you will be able to enjoy a nice cold beer stress-free.

Where it is: Inside the Imazato Shopping Arcade
Notes: *Only open Thursday through Saturday. Check their social media for the most up-to-date business hours and menu.

Official website
Map & further info

I hope this gets you started on your craft beer journey through Osaka. And since I couldn’t cover it all in one article, look forward to part 2! I will cover more of Osaka’s very unique and extraordinarily delicious craft beer scene in the next post.