The Ōta brewery was founded in 1874. The owner is a descendent of Ōta Dōkan, the famous samurai who built Edo castle, the present imperial palace in the centre of Tokyo. The Ōta family is the proud owner of a beautiful old brewery on the old trade route from Tokyo to Kyoto, a second brewery in the brewing centre of Nada, and a winery also located in Shiga Prefecture.