Cliff Garo Brewing

Cliff Garo Brewing, a brewery that makes craft beer using spices and fruits from Okinawa, reopened its doors in February 2024 with a larger space to enjoy beer and food.

Utilizing ingredients such as spices and fruits that are unique to Okinawa, Cliff Garo Brewing produces craft beer clad in pop and eye-catching labels. The owner of the brewery Mr. Miyagi, who originally worked as a designer in the U.K., says that he was very impressed by real ale, a traditional British beer he encountered there, which seemed to be merged into the local culture and existed as more of a communication tool rather than a tool for getting drunk. After returning to Japan, he attempted to recreate the British beer in Okinawa, but along the way he realized that it was a beer better suited to the cooler climate of England. This led to a change of direction from recreating real ale to creating a more locally-oriented beer suited to Okinawa's warm climate. Today, in Okinawa City, Okinawa, he produces and sells beer made with Okinawan ingredients.

Photo: the brewery can be seen from inside the restaurant

Locally-oriented beer made with active use of locally sourced ingredients

Many locally grown fruits, such as pineapple, mango, lemon, cherry, guava, passion fruit, and tankan mandarin, as well as spices, such as cinnamon called "Karaki" and coriander seed, are used in the beer produced at Cliff Garo Brewing. Mr. Miyagi says that he values the use of local ingredients because he wants more people to know about the delicious fruits and ingredients of Okinawa through his beer. He also wants to motivate the farmers by using their produce as he has many opportunities to meet the local farmers.

Photo from the left, “KAMMY TYLAR”, photo from the right “PINAPPLE DIGGER”.

The most popular among the various products is “PINEAPPLE DIGGER”, a refreshing pineapple IPA (India Pale Ale) made with plenty of juicy gold barrel pineapples from northern Okinawa. Also popular are “KAMMY TYLAR”, a white ale made with spices from the Yanbaru region of northern Okinawa and “Shimamugi Kanasan” made with wheat grown in Okinawa.

When developing a new flavor of beer, he places great importance on the balance between the taste of the beer itself and the secondary ingredients, such as fruit, etc. Therefore, the beer at Cliff Garo Brewing has a well-balanced taste that brings out the best of the ingredients while maintaining the beer's original flavor, without adding too much secondary ingredient and making it taste like juice.

“The fusion of art and beer” as one of the themes

Although Mr. Miyagi is the owner of the brewery, he started off as a designer and is still active as an artist while making beer. The pop and unique illustrations on the products of Cliff Garo Brewing are personally designed by him. “The fusion of art and beer is a major theme at the brewery,” he says.

Art and beer making may seem completely unlike each other, but for him, the process itself is not so different. Art involves the process of making paints, painting, and showing the work in a gallery. Beer involves the process of making malt and other secondary ingredients, producing the beer, and serving it to customers, which he feels is very similar to the process of creating an art.

When you pick up a bottle at Cliff Garo Brewing, be sure to enjoy not only the taste of the beer, but also the unique and distinctive illustration on the label of each product.

New location opened in February! Enjoy beer with an Okinawan flair at the new brewery

In February, they moved to a more spacious brewery with a restaurant where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy beer and food. While you are enjoying the food and drink, you can also see the process of beer being made.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the “Yomogi Genovese Pizza”. Instead of using commonly used basil, it is made with a type of yomogi (mugwort leaf) from Okinawa called “Fuchiba,” which is categorized as nishi-yomogi. Other menu items using local ingredients include “Fish & Chips” using inshore fish from the prefecture and “Tuna from Okinawa and Ichoba (fennel) Croquettes”.

Photo: Yomogi Genovese Pizza

Aside from the food and beer, the brewery also regularly hosts private exhibitions of artists active in the prefecture, allowing customers to enjoy art while drinking beer. This makes them truly in line with their theme; “the fusion of art and beer”.

Photo 1: artwork displayed in the store (as of the time of the photo taken)

Photo 2: the beer served at the brewery

“When you come to our brewery, please feel free to talk to our staff and communicate with them” Mr. Miyagi says. "In addition to me, there is another staff member who used to work in the U.K. who can explain about the products in English.”

“I hope to discover new ingredients from Okinawa that I haven't discovered yet and use them in my beer making,” Mr. Miyagi said enthusiastically, when asked about the future development of the brewery. Stay tuned for what’s happening at the brewery on their SNS.

Cliff Garo Brewing

Address: 6-2-8 Takahara, Okinawa City, Okinawa

TEL：+81-98-953-7237
Instagram：＠cliff_garo_brewing

Opening hours: WED-SAT 15:00-21:00、 SUN 12:00-19:00