LIVE From Teenage Weekend 2026: Celebrating Three Years of Brewing Without Limits With Japan's Cult Teenage Brewing
Hello fellow beer lovers!
In today’s article, I want to share about our first experiences with Teenage Brewing, as well as their third anniversary event and visit to the taproom. Founded by Musician Daichi Mori, he hopes to create beer that moves people, just like music. He runs the kilk records label along with live venues NEPO and Hisomine, and started Teenage Brewing in Tokigawa, Saitama in 2023. In fact, the name “Teenage” was inspired from the endorphin rush he got as a teen when he bought CDs and built playlists with friends. All of the beer labels comes with a recommended song or album pairing so that you can look for your next jam while sipping a pint.
We first got into Teenage Brewing back in 2024, during a trip to Japan, when everyone couldn't stop talking about their newest release: Wagashi J.R.E.A.M. This was Teenage Brewing's very first smoothie sour sale, made with Burley Oak Brewing and inspired by Japanese sweets, with zunda (a sweet paste made from edamame) as the star ingredient. Yes, the beer tasted about as wild as that sounds. It was popular enough that one of our regular haunts, Threefeet Tokyo, had a bottle explode clear up to the ceiling, and we could still spot the stains there on our most recent visit, a small, sticky reminder of just how much buzz that beer generated.
Teenage Weekend 2026
The event was held in a picturesque outdoor campground along the Toki River and Sanba Gorge in Tokigawa, Saitama. Built around the theme "Commune," the event invited visitors to spend a day immersed in craft beer, live music, local food, camping and nature. In a typical beer fest, you would be looking around and having a pre-conception on what breweries you would like to try. Here, the attention is firmly centred on Teenage Brewing, so just drink everything. More than fifteen taps poured the brewery's latest creations alongside beers from Nobody Brewing, which is Teenage's everyday-inspired sister brand, taking a step back from its eccentric roots.
Throughout the event, the mood was kept high with various Artists & DJs keeping the beat going every hour, along with activities such as Bingo and guessing games. You could also take a break from the festival and take a leisurely walk along the river. Camping sites were also available for this event so that visitors may camp overnight after the event ends.
Overall, we spent a lot of time idly chatting and listening to the music. After taking a few steps from the venue towards the river, the atmosphere became much more serene and enjoyable, and we spent a great time chatting and drinking by the riverside. Speaking of drinks, Teenage Brewing's three 3rd anniversary beers really showcase just how diverse and experimental the brewery can be.
Three – 3rd Anniversary TDH DIPA
Three, aptly named for the 3rd anniversary, is a culmination of Teenage Brewing’s over the past years, and a throwback to its very first DDH DIPA, One. Brewed with three hop varieties (Tropical Fusion and Riwaka from New Zealand's Freestyle Hops, alongside Citra from Hollingbery), the beer became a turbo-charged hop buffet on the palette, but still remaining pleasant and balanced.
Young Forever, Aged Today
Young Forever, Aged Today is Teenage Brewing's second 3rd anniversary beer, their first barrel-aged farmhouse ale. Even with a style that's new to them, they couldn’t help but go all out on the complexity. This experimental blend comes in two parts, with a pear and hop-forward base matured in wine barrels for three months mixed together with a saison aged for one-month with sour cherries, forming a layered and refreshing brew.
Tokigawa Infusion: Byakudan
Created in collaboration with the renowned Bar Ben Fiddich in Shinjuku and Curogo Scents, Tokigawa Infusion: Byakudan is a Sour IPA brewed with sandalwood, watermelon, elderflower and cardamom. This beer is a throwback to their 2nd anniversary brew, Tokigawa Infusion, which follows local wild herbs such as wormwood and sorrel to bring you into the landscape of Tokigawa town. This year's version takes a step up by using Sandalwood from Curogo Scents, adding an extra layer of incense to the already aromatic beer. This is my personal favorite amongst the three anniversary beers.
Teenage Brewing / Taproom "bekkan"
While I was enjoying Teenage Weekend in Tokigawa, my partner experienced another side of Teenage Brewing by visiting Teenage Taproom Bekkan. There's a variety of routes you may take to get there, but essentially you would be starting from Ikebukuro station and taking the Tobu-Toju Line up north. From there, visitors could opt to take a bus or a nice walk over. My partner opted to alight at the rustic Myokaku station, which led to a fifteen-minute walk through rice and random potato fields by the quiet countryside roads. The taproom is open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 4:30pm, and weekends and holidays until 7pm, and closed on Mondays, so it's worth planning around those hours if you're making the two hour trip out.
A window into the brewery.
The Teenage Bekkan Taproom is designed as an extension of the brewery, with large glass windows allowing guests to watch the brewing operation while enjoying a freshly poured pint. The taproom is designed with Level 1 being the public dining space, with Level 2 and so-on being the storeroom and operations area.
During shipment days, you can see employees busy at work moving the kegs and cans to-and-fro the building. The staff struck a nice balance, friendly if you approached them, but happy to let you enjoy your pint in peace if you didn't. For the time being, there are no formal brewery tours, but nothing's stopping you from grabbing a seat by the glass and watching the whole operation unfold over a pint.
Drinks menu alongside roast beef don, oishi!
The taproom also perfectly reflects Teenage Brewing's philosophy that great beer should be enjoyed alongside good food, meaningful conversations and a sense of place. Around ten beers are typically available on draft, accompanied by canned releases, takeaway options and growler fills. One thing to note: there are no taster flights here, so come ready to commit to a couple of half and full pints as you wouldn’t want to miss out on the freshly drafted goodness.
The food menu is thoughtful, featuring dishes prepared with seasonal produce from Tokigawa alongside hearty offerings such as roast beef rice bowls, pulled pork, weekly curries and their signature IPA fried chicken.
Daichi Mori’s standee greets you with his fabulous boots.
For a brewery celebrating only its third anniversary, Teenage Brewing has already established a distinctive identity, building something larger than the beer itself. While the Bekkan Taproom remains the one direct store, Teenage beers are readily available around Japan, popping up on tap lists at craft beer bars nationwide. As we eagerly look forward to each new release, we hope that you would find the same excitement as well.
P.s. Please open the cans with care~
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!
