When I think of adventurous beers and brewers, I generally think of the guys of at Dogfish Head or if I’m going international, I might think of Scotland and those crazy Scots over at Brewdog, but Japan? Not so much. I tend to think of light flavorless beers such as Sapporo, but things are starting to change over there. Japanese beer drinkers are shifting away from the big brewers-Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi and Suntory-and towards microbreweries that provide more options with exciting new tastes.

Based in the central Japan city of Nagoya, Morita Kinshachi produces a range of European-style pilsners, an Indian Pale Ale and an Imperial Chocolate Stout, but among its best-sellers are beers flavored with green tea or fermented bean paste.

“For us, the secret is to be original with the beers and make them stand out,” said Yoshino, [head of sales for Morita Kinshachi Beer Co.]

Although distribution from the Japanese microbreweries is limited, mainly to China and Australia, I’m hopeful that in the next couple of years I’ll be able to try a beer flavored with fermented red beans!