Last month, we took some time away from the brewery here in Rupia and found ourselves exploring Japan, where we stopped by our friends at Uchu Brewing in Tokyo to collaborate on a special beer that represents our shared love of hops and curiosity about the universe.
JP:
When I first tried Uchu beers, the quality really stood out to me. You can taste the care and quality straight away, and I’m always excited to see breweries pushing modern beer styles, no matter where they’re based. Masahiro has built a lot of the buildings himself, and the craftsmanship, design, and attention to detail were everywhere. On top of that, the location is absolutely stunning, very rural, calm, and inspiring.
MJ:
Have you seen the music videos? I love them. They’re so playful and creative, and just a totally different way of showing who they are as a brewery. I’d already met Masa earlier in the year at These Hills (the wonderful beer festival hosted by Beak Brewery in East Sussex UK - save the dates for 8th and 9th August 2026) and it was great to spend some proper time together in Japan.
It’s always the people behind a project that make it special, but Uchu’s location also plays a big role. Being in Japan means they have great access to ingredients from North America, Europe, the UK, and New Zealand.
JP:
For the beer itself, we combined ideas and recipes from both sides and landed on Toki Universo, a juicy, hazy DDH IPA. It features Motueka and Nectaron hops selected by Uchu, with a touch of Citra and Citra Cryo to round it out. It’s soft, expressive, and hop-forward in a way we were all really happy with.
MJ:
To explain the name, “Toki” refers to the Japanese crested ibis, a bird with strong cultural significance in Japan that, much like our kiwi mascot, almost went extinct. Thanks to serious conservation efforts, its numbers are slowly recovering. DosKiwis loves birds, Uchu loves the universe, so Toki Universo felt like the perfect meeting point.
The brewing process itself was a lot of fun. The brewery is incredibly clean and orderly, with some clever little modifications and quirks that show how much thought has gone into the space. Like us, Uchu is a rural brewery, so we share a lot of the same challenges. And like me, Masahiro knows how to use a hammer, which means we instantly had a few things in common.
Comparing beer philosophies and practices across the other side of the world is really interesting. There are differences, of course, but also plenty of overlap in how we think about quality, process, and doing things properly rather than quickly.
Outside of the brewery, Japan was full of highlights. In Tokyo we stumbled across a tiny can shop called Three Feet which focuses mostly on Japanese breweries – well worth a visit. Mikkeller Tokyo was also a great place to hang out, with more international beers on tap.
In terms of coffee, we stumbled across Terasaki Coffee in Kofu, where we met a lovely lady that gifted us a bottle of apple juice. Makoto Coffee Create was also a highlight. In all, the coffee scene in Japan is impressive for its quality, craftsmanship and passion.
Thanks again to Masa for the warm welcome and kind hospitality. We look forward to returning the favour and hosting him at DosKiwis, creating another collab beer together and who knows, possibly a music video too….
https://www.instagram.com/uchubrewing.japan/
We are The Universe Music Video - https://youtu.be/OIY4SW4KvAQ?si=9H6N-FwYioy7jL3p