Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

Keith Villa was supposed to be a pediatrician. While studying pre-med molecular biology at the University of Colorado, he took a job researching fermentation and decided he’d rather make beer. And while he may not have gotten that medical degree, he is a doctor, one of only a handful of Americans with a PhD in brewing from the University of Brussels.

Villa isn’t well-known outside of beer circles, but he’s the man responsible for one of the biggest successes in the US craft market, Blue Moon. Tasked with making a microbrew for Coors, Villa created a mostly traditional Belgian white beer using skills picked up in Europe. However, where most Belgian whites use Curaçao oranges to give the beer a bitter bite, Villa opted for American Valencia oranges, resulting in a smoother, sweeter brew with a distinctly orangey nose.

This was in the mid ’90s, and US drinkers didn’t react well at first to the unfamiliar cloudiness of an unfiltered beer. Coors tried to shut the project down on several occasions, but Villa soldiered on, repeatedly moving his brewing operations and traveling bar to bar to promote his beer, teaching bartenders how to pour, garnish and serve a white beer and telling them about the health benefits of the oat fiber and the B vitamins in the yeast.

Eventually, Blue Moon caught on and is now one of the best-selling craft brews in the country—though some would quibble about whether a beer owned by industry giant Molson Coors really fits the category. Sales volumes have been increasing year on year, something Villa attributes to the easy drinkability of his beer.

“[Other craft brewers’ beers] are filled with flavor, but sometimes a bit too much flavor,” he says, mentioning the popular IPA and imperial stout as examples of beers where one glass suffices. “Whereas our beer, I designed it to be smooth, easy to drink and food-friendly.”

Villa is now targeting Asian markets and has decided to start in Japan, where he thinks the food culture will be a perfect match for unfiltered beers.

“Japanese people are very picky when it comes to food and drinks. They have high standards and I think they will appreciate the taste of Blue Moon and the fact that it’s brewed with only all-natural ingredients.”

He may be facing a similar battle here to his early days in the States, though. Although the craft market is booming, it’s still a small fraction of total beer sales, and the average consumer is not all that familiar with Belgian-style beers. Villa has already launched an education offensive. A large portion of the launch party on June 20 was given over to a demonstration of how to pour and serve Blue Moon properly, and waitstaff brought guests glass after glass, along with food specially prepared to complement the beer’s coriander and citrus notes.

It remains to be seen how Blue Moon will do in the Land of the Rising Sun, but Villa is confident that it can appeal to the average consumer who wants a little more flavor, the craft beer aficionado who wants something smoother for a night of drinking, and even wine drinkers who would like to get into beer.

In fact, it could be just what the doctor ordered.

Blue Moon is currently available at these local bars: Craft Hands (Azabu-Juban), Meat & Bakery Tavern (Naka-Meguro), Craftheads (Shibuya), Cataratas (Shibuya), Beard (Meguro), and Mardi Gras (Ginza).