Phantom brewery

Origin of the name

The name is said to liken the free way of working, with no fixed base, moving from one brewery to another to make beer, to a "phantom" without a body. From the same lack of a fixed home, it is also called "gypsy".

Difference from contract brewing

In English, the terms contract brewing and gypsy brewing are sometimes distinguished as names for similar arrangements. One explanation is that contract brewing refers to regularly borrowing a particular brewery's equipment to make beer, while gypsy brewing refers to making beer irregularly, at a different facility each year. In practice, however, the boundary between the two is vague, and the Japanese term "phantom brewery" is often used in a broad sense that includes both.

Representative examples

• Mikkeller: originated in Copenhagen, Denmark. Known worldwide as the leading example of a phantom brewery
• Evil Twin Brewing: a brewery started by the twin brother of Mikkeller's founder. After long operating as a phantom, it opened its own brewery in Queens, New York, in 2019
• Far Yeast Brewing: launched "馨和 KAGUA" in 2012 by commissioning a brewery in Belgium, and in 2017 opened its own brewery, Genryu Brewery, in the village of Kosuge, Yamanashi Prefecture

Position in Japan

In Japan, obtaining a license to manufacture beer requires actually purchasing and installing brewing equipment, so starting a brewery demands a large initial investment. The phantom brewery is a means of putting one's own beer into the world while avoiding that burden, and, as with Far Yeast Brewing, it is sometimes chosen as a first step toward establishing one's own brewery later.