In a perfect world there would always be a delicious craft beer close at hand. We don’t (yet) live in that world, especially in Japan. A friend and I did a blind taste test of Japanese macro-beers, to help in those moments when your only option is whatever is on sale at the local convenience […]
This week we’ve decided to go with something a little more recognizable, especially for those of you in Japan. Best known for its ubiquitous but fairly ordinary Super Dry, Asahi Breweries also produces a noteworthy stout. Asahi Stout is a very dark, strongly flavored, high-gravity ale with 8% abv. It’s available only in 334-ml bottles […]
What comes after a few well earned pints at the local beer garden or izakaya? Around these parts Karaoke is the king of the after party. The basics of karaoke in Asia are a little different from what a western audience may expect. Rather than sing to an entire bar, in a Japanese karaoke box […]
One constant in the drinking culture of Japan is the izakaya. Izakaya are the Japanese version of the “English Pub.” Serving drinks and food, many izakaya trade on a homy, nostalgic atmosphere with dim lighting, lots of wood and plenty of ice cold beer. Every community has plenty of choices ranging from the tiny hole […]
Like much of the drinking culture of Japan, Beer Gardens originated in Germany. In order to keep their lager beers at a proper fermentation temperature over the summer, Bavarian breweries dug large cellars and planted trees over them to shade the ground. When the law changed to allow the breweries to sell their beer directly […]
The spring Keyaki beer bonanza has finished, but the memories of great friends and excellent beer will last. I came into the festival with a long list of beers and breweries to acquaint myself with. My friends and I made a serious dent in that list, doing a lot of hands on research into the […]
