On 22 November, the craft beer specialty store "Garreth's Hideout" (Matsugae, Hirosaki City) opened in Hirosaki.

The same store with a brewery on the first floor. The store area is about 27 tsubo and the number of seats is 27. The owner, Gareth Barnes, is a former US soldier. Thinking "I want to make American beer that can only be made in Tsugaru in Japan," I started preparations more than two years ago, and finally got into operation.

Gareth is 32 years old from Philadelphia, USA. In the US Army, he belonged to the bomb disposal team and was assigned to the Aomori-Misawa base in 2005. Worked as an expedition to Afghanistan and researching dangerous goods in places where government officials stayed, and retired two years later. Before returning to the United States, I chose Hirosaki in the castle town to enjoy Japan and worked at an English conversation school.

In 2011, Gareth opened an English conversation class "GAB English School" and was planning to return to Japan in about a year. “While studying the Tsugaru shamisen, I loved Aomori and now I am. I couldn't imagine it 10 years ago,” he says with a smile.

There are two types of craft beer currently being brewed: "Debby's Pale Ale" (621 yen) and "Azumashi Wheat Ale" (594 yen). In addition, we will prepare craft beer from Japan and overseas. The food menu includes 3 types of sausage (972 yen), 5 skewers (1,242 yen), and buffalo wing chicken (702 yen).

Gareth says, "There are different types of beer in Japan, such as wine and sake, but there are few types of beer in Japan. I want to send original craft beer from Aomori in the Tohoku region."

The brewery, which was built by Gareth himself, ordered the brewing tank from overseas and installed it. "I want to increase the number of types of craft beer in the future," he shows his motivation.

At present, there are beer orders from Tokyo, Saitama, Miyagi, and Akita. "In Japan, there are a lot of calls from Tokyo, and it's often delayed in Aomori. I want to make a call from Aomori to create a boom first."

Business hours are from 17:00 to 23:00. Closed on Tuesdays.