Whenever you consider Japanese beer, manufacturers like Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo and Suntory instantly come to thoughts. You’ll be able to order these beers simply from any restaurant in Japan, discover them in comfort shops, and even buy them straight from merchandising machines.
Today, the craft brewing tradition may be very a lot alive in Japan. Tokyo is house to many small breweries and micropubs, so it may be overwhelming to resolve the place and what to drink.
The final time I used to be in Tokyo in 2019, I checked out the Museum of Yebisu Beer and Sapporo Beer Station (which was closed for renovations as of June 2023). On our latest journey, Artwork and I did some beer searching round a number of Tokyo bars in between museum visits and sightseeing.
We managed to seek out some craft beer at supermarkets, choose comfort shops, and memento retailers like Don Quijote. The commonest craft beers we noticed included Yona Yona Pale Ale (American Pale Ale), Suiyoubi no Neko (Wheat Beer) and Aooni (American IPA model beer) by Yo-Ho Brewing Firm.
PRICE: Beer from comfort shops and groceries often price round ¥250 to ¥400 per can. Mainstream beers like Asahi and Kirin are often cheaper at round ¥185 in supermarkets and round ¥240 from merchandising machines.
There have been another different attention-grabbing Japanese beers we tried like Rokko Beer’s Hazy Session IPA, Kamakura Samurai Beer IPA by Kamakura Beer co., Biere de Rydeen and Raiden Kanuki IPA by Oh! La! Ho Brewery, which had cool can artwork.
Listed here are a number of the beer highlights from our latest Tokyo journey.
Baird Beer Harajuku Taproom
Lonely Planet’s International Beer Tour E-book, a information to the beer tasting on the world’s finest breweries, describes Baird Brewing Firm because the “granddaddy of American-style craft beer in Japan.”
From a 30L brewhouse in a fish market, Baird Beer has grow to be one in all Japan’s most well-known craft breweries. Its distinctive labels and beers like Rising Solar Pale Ale and Suruga Imperial Pale Ale can now be present in pubs and bars worldwide.
Beer lovers will pay homage the well-loved Japanese model at their Harajuku Taproom, a conventional wood-lined izakaya pub that dishes out scrumptious yakitori (like skewered scallops, mushrooms, rooster pores and skin and beef) together with core beers and seasonal specials.
One among their most distinctive beers is the Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale, which is infused with Japanese wasabi and inexperienced tea. Throughout our go to, new seasonal beers included Hop Havoc Imperial Pale Ale and Cool Breeze Pils.
PRICE: Common 250 ml glasses of beer price ¥600 whereas the five hundred ml glasses price ¥1,100 every. Sampler units of three beers in tasting glasses prices ¥1,100
Asahi Beer Tower and Asahi Beer Corridor
Whereas staying in Asakusa, we took a leisurely stroll alongside the Sumida River to go to a few well-known beer-shaped buildings. From the opposite aspect of the river, you will get an important view of the well-known Tokyo Skytree, the tallest construction in Tokyo, in addition to iconic buildings of Asahi that truly appear to be beer.
The tall golden constructing that appears like a beer pint fabricated from LEGO blocks is the Asahi Beer Tower. From afar, you may see the highest of is lined with white, like foam on prime of a glass. The Asahi Beer Tower has 4 eating places situated on the twenty first and twenty second ground the place diners can take pleasure in beautiful vistas over the town. This consists of Restaurant Alaska for French effective eating; Mochizuki, a conventional Japanese restaurant with multi-course meals; trendy Italian restaurant La Ranarita; and the the Asahi Sky Room, a restaurant lounge for beer and cocktails.
Proper subsequent to the Asahi Beer Tower is the Asahi Beer Corridor, a smaller black constructing formed like a beer mug topped with a golden sculpture generally known as Flamme de ‘Or (French for Golden Flame). In line with Asahi Breweries the flame designed by French designer and architect Philippe Starck accomplished in 1989 represents “the burning coronary heart of Asahi Beer”.
Initially the flame was supposed to face upright, however on account of complaints that the construction would block the view from different buildings, it was placed on its aspect as an alternative. Due to its uncommon form, locals have reportedly dubbed it “the golden turd” or the “poo constructing.” The sculpture has additionally been likened to a tadpole, a whale, or a blob of mustard.
Whereas the eating choices on the Asahi Beer Tower are extra formal, the Asahi Beer Corridor serves informal meals like sausage, kushiyaki model rooster kebabs, scallop pie, beer steamed mussels, that you could pair alongside together with your beers.
Tokyo Sumidagawa Brewing
The Asahi Annex proper subsequent to the 2 major Asahi Buildings comprises Tokyo Sumidagawa Brewing, a comfy brewery that makes a speciality of craft beer and gourmand smoked meats. That is managed by Tremendous Dry, one of many subsidiaries of the beer maker Asahi Beer.
The bar serves 4 common kinds of beer: a German model weizen or wheat beer, an fragrant kolsch, an American model pale ale, and a bitter stout. Taster units can be found so diners can get a beer set of 4. We tried the Weizen and the Asahi Nama Beer paired with a smoked meals assortment of shrimp, rooster, mackerel, and pickles.
The primary ground of the constructing is an off-the-cuff bar space with a view of the brewing tanks, whereas the primary restaurant is situated on the second ground. Apart from beer, the bar serves beer pairing dishes like sirloin steak, roast rooster, assorted charcuterie, German model sausages, craft beer steamed mussels, and extra.
It is a elegant and quiet spot for afternoon consuming if you wish to take a break from all of the strolling.
PRICE: Draft beers price ¥700 to ¥1,050 a mug every, whereas the beer set of 4 prices ¥1,880.
Hoppy Road (Nikomi Dori)
We stayed a few nights within the Asakusa space simply strolling distance from Hoppy Road, a well-known avenue the place you may take pleasure in Tokyo’s downtown nightlife. This slim avenue close to Sensoji Temple is lined with low cost old school taverns with outside side-seating recognized regionally as izakaya. The entire space provides a festive environment to drink at night time although it might get crowded with locals and international vacationers
Most izakayas serve alcoholic drinks and low cost avenue meals like yakitori and stew. Actually, the road is also referred to as Nikomi Dori or “Stew Road” as a result of many spots serve nikomi, a type of low cost stew constituted of beef tendons and greens.
Hoppy Road is known as after the Hoppy drink, an affordable virtually non-alcoholic beer that’s been round since 1948. Whereas the old-school bottles look comparable and the drink itself tastes like beer, Hoppy has a really low alcohol content material of 0.8%.
In line with native journey guides, “Hoppy blended with shochu (a a lot stronger distilled alcoholic beverage) is seen as a nostalgic drink and part of native tradition.” Hoppy can be used as a mixer for different cocktails with sake. It is available in two varieties: White Hoppy (which has a lighter taste) and Black Hoppy.
We had this with an important meal of teppanyaki and grilled scallops at Shiraiwa, in an arcade space in Asakusa close to Hoppy Road. The restaurant additionally serves okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and many different appetizers. This was among the finest meals we had in Asakusa and we ended up going to the identical restaurant the following day to strive their different dishes on the menu.
PRICE: Hoppy is priced from ¥550 to ¥700 per bottle, with extra mixers as add-ons. Most eating places alongside Hoppy Road require diners to order a minimal of 1 drink and 1 meals dish per particular person whereas eating in. Some izakayas even have a desk cost.
Shitamachi Highball Pageant
Whereas strolling round Ueno Park throughout our final full day in Tokyo, we chanced upon an area competition that includes totally different Japanese alcoholic drinks and avenue meals together with stage performances.
The Shitamachi Highball Pageant held final June 23-25 had stalls serving highball, sake, shochu, whisky, and craft beer. Highballs are a well-liked alcoholic drink in Japan, fabricated from a base spirit (typically whiskey) and a non-alcoholic mixer like carbonated drinks.
There have been a number of craft beer stalls together with Tokyo Craft Beer (Beer Medel Tokyo), Black Tide Brewing, Zumona, and extra.
We tried a number of together with the taster set from Tokyo Craft Beer which had Pale Ale, Honey Ale, and Peach Ale. One among our favorites had been beers from Vector Brewing, which had cute cat-themed beer labels and names together with Wheat Neko Punch, Again the Classics, and Tomcat Hazy IPA (extremely really useful!).
PRICE: Beer on the highball competition had been priced at round ¥600 to ¥1,500 relying on the dimensions, whereas tasting units of 4 price ¥1,400.
Since we didn’t have time to go to different bars, this was an important introduction to a number of the newer craft breweries and different alcoholic drinks. I look ahead to searching down extra breweries and taprooms the following time we go to Tokyo.
