Iron Monk Brewing Unveils Sister Cities Beer to Mark 40-Year Stillwater-Kameoka Partnership

Iron Monk Brewing released a Japanese rice lager Saturday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Stillwater's sister city relationship with Kameoka, Japan, debuting the brew at the Stillwater Harvest Festival on Block 34.

The beer, named Shimai Toshi — Japanese for "Sister Cities" — was presented to Kameoka Mayor Takahiro Katsuragawa in early October when Mayor Will Joyce and City Manager Brady Moore visited Japan for the anniversary celebration. The visit coincided with Kameoka's 70th anniversary as an incorporated city.

"We wanted to present it to the mayor. So I kind of wanted him to be on it or us to be on it," Joyce said.

Kameoka Mayor Takahiro Katsuragawa, left, and Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce hold the framed Shimai Toshi beer can artwork during Joyce's visit to Kameoka, Japan, in early October. The 40th anniversary Sister Cities logo, right, was displayed during the ceremony celebrating the partnership between the two cities. – Photos Provided/Chris Peters

The collaboration brought together local brewing expertise and artistic talent to create a commemorative product honoring the relationship that began in 1985. Trenton Inselman, CEO and brewmaster at Iron Monk Brewing, developed the Japanese-style lager specifically for the occasion.

"It's a Japanese rice lager, which really just means that the majority of the grain or the sugar content that we're getting was from rice," Inselman said. "We based it on an Asahi Japanese beer. That's kind of our inspiration."

The beer features moderate alcohol content and balanced flavoring designed for casual drinkers, Inselman said.

Inselman said the brewing process required experimentation, including a pilot batch made with instant rice purchased from Walmart before scaling up to the full 80-barrel production system.

"It was pretty cool," Inselman said. "We never done anything like that."

The distinctive can label features landmarks from both cities, including Block 34, Old Central and the Kicker Soundstage alongside Kameoka's City Hall building, train station and a local shrine. The label depicts Joyce and Katsuragawa presenting each other with a proclamation.

Joyce commissioned his brother, John Joyce, a graphic artist, to design the label. The design incorporates Japanese-style animation elements with rays and clouds as a backdrop to the city landmarks.

"I just love the rays and the clouds on that side of it," Joyce said.

Iron Monk gave away the first 85 cans free at the festival, referencing 1985 as the inaugural year of the sister city relationship. The beer is now available on tap and in cans at Iron Monk's location and at select area establishments soon.

Iron Monk is making a donation to support Stillwater's Sister Cities program as part of the partnership.

"We're really, really appreciative of Iron Monk for this partnership and helping us promote the Sister City relationship," Joyce said from the festival stage.

Joyce said Katsuragawa displayed the six-pack of beer on his desk in the mayor's office. A recent student exchange participant reported seeing the beer prominently displayed, though the mayor has not yet tasted it.

"He was very, very excited about it," Joyce said from the festival stage.

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The sister city relationship between Stillwater and Kameoka, established Nov. 3, 1985, has facilitated numerous exchanges over four decades, including a student exchange program between Stillwater Middle School seventh graders and Kameoka schools. Ethan Fisher, a seventh-grader at Stillwater Middle School, returned from Kameoka shortly before the anniversary celebration.

Dr. Matt Payne, now a member of the Sister Cities Council, participated in one of the first student exchanges in 1990.

Joyce encouraged community members interested in Japan or the sister city relationship to connect with the Sister Cities Council.

"We would love to have you guys connect," Joyce said.