【Our Mission】
At Black Tide Brewing, our mission is to bring fine craft beer to the world from Kesennuma.
【Our Story】
The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, Japan’s largest ever recorded, devastated the city of Kesennuma. The inner bay area of Kesennuma, its hub, was swept away by the massive tsunami triggered by the earthquake. To help restore and recover the city, Akihiko Sugawara, a local of Kesennuma, put out a “call to arms” throughout Japan marshalling specialists from varied trades:
・Fishing industry specialist: Hisashi Ishiwata
・Community development professional: Hiromasa Kokubun
・Restaurant management and consulting expert: Tomoyoshi Sen
・A publisher, traveler and expert craft beer hunter: Nobuhiro Tajima
At the same time, a man living in Portland Oregon (USA) dreamt about moving to a small town in Japan to brew craft beer. His name is James Watney. A PhD chemist, he has 13 years of brewing experience, including training at Portland’s own Culmination Brewing and Japan’s Isekadoya Brewing. He quickly fell in love with the culture and people of Kesennuma.
Knowledge, experience, sensitivity, and love for Kesennuma... As Head Brewer, James is moving to Kesennuma to pour his heart and soul into the brewing of BTB craft beer
Completing the team is Kazuya Tanji who has experience in the creation of two other Japanese craft breweries. He discovered Kesennuma while volunteering after The Great East Japan Earthquake. It is also no coincidence that he fell in love with Kesennuma. Tanji is now the Sales Manager of BTB.
【Our Home】
So what makes us so passionate about this project?
The answer is simple: our home, Kesennuma.
This city inevitably fascinates anyone who visits. Situated on the Sanriku coast, surrounded by brilliant green mountains, Kesennuma provides a truly special environment. Through its famous fishing industry, the city has long interacted with people and cultures from far away. Black Tide Brewing is proud to represent beautiful Kesennuma and show it to the world.