VERTERE, Latin for- “to change, to rotate, to turn”

Our recent craft beer journey brings us to Okutama, a mountainous region in western Tokyo. This tranquil area has been home to VERTERE Brewery for the past 10 years. When it first opened, VERTERE was a simple brewpub. Over the years, it steadily expanded its brewery and operations to keep up with strong local demand—especially during peak travel periods like Golden Week and Obon.

Our first encounter with VERTERE was at the 2024 Tennoz Canal Festival, a three-day celebration of art and food alongside a craft beer festival featuring mostly local breweries. Among the crowd, VERTERE was easy to spot with its minimalist, abstract design. And of course, the beers left an impression. If I had to sum them up in one word, it would be refreshing—very much what you’d expect from a brewery surrounded by mountain forests. This comes through clearly in their standout farmhouse saisons, alongside familiar styles like IPAs and pale ales.

The meaning behind the VERTERE name extends to their beer naming philosophy as well. Many of their beers are named after the scientific names of plants and animals. Since most of us don’t speak Latin, the names intentionally strip away expectations of style, allowing drinkers to approach each beer with an open mind and form their own impressions.

With the opening of their new brewery in February 2024, it was finally time to make the trip down.

VERTERE Brewery & Bottle Shop - Getting There + Pro Tips

Okutama is in Tokyo, right? How far could it be? Why, only about two and a half hours by train from the city centre! For those committed to this pilgrimage, it’s highly recommended to time your journey with limited express or rapid trains, which can shave the travel time down to just over two hours. This makes a big difference if you’re attempting a day trip.

That said, we quickly learned that a single day can be quite exhausting. Staying a night (or more) is ideal, especially if you plan to explore other beautiful spots in Okutama such as Hatonosu Canyon or Lake Okutama.

After a two hour (and then some) journey, this is a welcome sight!

Brewery tour reservations can be made directly through VERTERE’s website. If you’re not fluent in Japanese, book the Saturday slot—an English-speaking staff member leads the tour, and printed English scripts are provided so you can follow along comfortably.

The new VERTERE Brewery is located a short distance from Okutama Station, perched on a cliff overlooking the rushing Tama River. Getting there is straightforward, either via a scenic walk or a five-minute bus ride. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you spot the cream-coloured building standing out among the surrounding residential houses.

The stacks of iconic white VERTERE cans are quite the sight!

What's In The VERTERE Tour

The tour takes you behind the scenes of the brewery and into VERTERE’s brewing process. We won’t spoil too much of the experience, but you’ll get hands-on interactions with raw ingredients, from tasting different malts to taking deep whiffs of hop pellets. You’ll also get an up-close look at the brewing equipment and even sneak peeks at what’s coming next. It’s especially fun to spot new releases weeks later and know you were there when they were still in the works.

The tour wraps up with everyone’s favourite segment: the tasting session and Q&A. A cool detail about VERTERE’s brewing is their naturally soft water, which has low minerality. This gives the brewers a “blank template” to work with, allowing them to add specific salts to shape the desired mouthfeel and flavour profile.

Some of the highlights from the tasting!

For the tasting, we sampled five beers from the newest batches, including Okutama-limited releases. The Coffea Coffee Stout was an instant crowd favourite. Brewed in collaboration with GottaCoffee, a coffee shop right next to Okutama Station, it uses Ethiopian coffee beans that bring out floral and fruity aromas. Despite sitting at 7.5% ABV, it was remarkably smooth and approachable. Real good stuff.

The VERTERE Okutama Taproom and its rustic views.

VERTERE Okutama Taproom And Where Else To Find VERTERE's Brews Outside The Brewery

After weaving through the alleys near Okutama Station, you’ll arrive at the lively VERTERE Okutama Taproom. It runs about 10 taps, including several Okutama-exclusive beers. Food options are simple and satisfying, with hot dogs plus their signature chicken and chips.

One standout pour was Beta II, a beet sour saison made with beets from Ome Farm. The farm uses leftover malt mulch from VERTERE’s brewing process as fertilizer, which brings us full circle with this beer!

The VERTERE Yokohama Taproom at night.

For those who can’t make it out to Okutama, VERTERE beers are also available at various Japanese craft beer shops. You can also visit their other taprooms in Eifuku, Tachikawa, and Yokohama. The Yokohama outlet, which opened in mid-January, was pouring a playful six-beer collaboration series called Freestyle Fes 2026.

Built around Tropical Fusion hops, brewers from West Coast Brewing, Be Easy Brewing, Inkhorn Brewing, Kyoto Brewing, Totopia Brewing, and VERTERE spun a roulette to decide what to brew. The results were predictably wild and absolutely worth seeking out.

At its core, VERTERE is a brewery that embraces change — not just in name, but in philosophy. Making the journey to Okutama may take time, but the reward is a deeper appreciation of how they bring together the environment and community together in a glass.

Contributed by Edward.

PS. If you've had a great experience at a bar, a brewery, a distillery - really anywhere you had a solid time and an equally solid drink - step forward and share your experience! Sharing is where it's at! Drop us your story at hi88bamboo@gmail.com!