Japan Craft Beer Festival 2011

[ikkyu]

Anyone going? I'll be there from the opening gun at noon...

http://www.craftbeerfestival.org//

 

[slogger]

Anyone going? I'll be there from the opening gun at noon...

http://www.craftbeerfestival.org//

I'd love to go but I can't get a ride. I'm sure some folks including myself would appreciate if you could post news about your encounters and what types of beers were present! Hava fun!

 

[slogger]

Anyone going? I'll be there from the opening gun at noon...

http://www.craftbeerfestival.org//

I'd love to go but I can't get a ride. I'm sure some folks including myself would appreciate if you could post news about your encounters and what types of beers were present! Hava fun!

 

[FatherJack]

Well dang, that was today.

Recently Japan's got a not so bad craft brew scene.

Now, if only they weren't a nuts-o $5+ per 12oz bottle...

 

[ikkyu]

As requested a quick report from today: My impression is that for many overseas beer enthusiasts, Japanese craft beer begins at Hitachino Nest...and usually ends there. Well, there were forty-six brewers at today's brew fest and, though they were a few mediocre entries, the overall quality was pretty darn good. Highlights included Swan Lake's complex Imperial Stout (OG 1.105 ) and the American Pale Ale from Oni Densetsu (ABV5.5). There was a fair share of IPA's including a bracing double IPA called Two Captains from Ezo Mugishu (100 IBU). Of course, the best part was meeting the brewers and enjoying a few cold ones with the bartenders who pull these fine beers in the greater Tokyo and Yokohama area. As a foreigner, an added bonus was meeting several foreigners who are making a difference in the Japan Craft Beer scene including Scott Brimmer, formerly of Gotemba brewery who will be introducing his own label early 2012. http://www.brimmerbrewing.com/ (check his FB link) Ry Beville of The Japan Beer Times who produces an excellent bi-lingual publication introducing breweries and brewing regions http://japanbeertimes.com/ and the founder of the blog Abrewcadabrew a place where foreign home brewers in Japan can exchange info http://www.abrewcadabrew.com/ For home brewers in Japan, these resources are invaluable. With only one outlet for liquid yeast, a limited supply of specialty grains, and virtually no vendors for glass carboys (though we can get Better Bottles), it was great to exchange some ideas. Japanese home brewers have extreme limitations due to space so I was eager to exchange ideas. In any case, if you can swallow the steep price 3500¥ for ten 120 ml samples (check the exchange rate and do the math), it was a well spent afternoon.

 

[Glossolalia]

I'm sorry I missed it. I didn't go simply because I didn't see a published list of brewers who would be there in advance of the date.

Homebrewing here is certainly a challenge--at least if I attempt to approach it the same way I did in the states. Several of my favorite ingredients are completely unavailable. I couldn't even find a source of fresh hops. The ones I've bought here, to date, have ended up being quite old. I finally broke down and ordered some of the 2011 harvest from the US and paid $60+ for shipping. I guess one benefit is I have an amazing yeast library as I've honed my isolation and culturing skills to avoid paying the expensive prices for fresh yeasts. Another is I'm getting more adept at making complex beers with simple grists.

 

[weirdboy]

if you can swallow the steep price 3500¥ for ten 120 ml samples (check the exchange rate and do the math)

That's about on par with e.g. Stone's Anniversary Fests here in SoCal, which as I recall is 10 4oz samples for $40. Actually, considering how much a craft beer costs in a bar in Japan, I think 3500 yen is really a bargain.

On another note, Oni Densetsu is a great name for a brewery.



Did anyone talk to the craft brewers to find out how they are sourcing their ingredients? Presumably they have the problem of obtaining fresh hops worked out.

 

[ikkyu]

I'm sorry I missed it. I didn't go simply because I didn't see a published list of brewers who would be there in advance of the date.

The website for this was pretty bare bones so there was no list of brewers.
Here's a partial list of the brewers:

North Island Brewery
Premium Beer Oni Denestsu
Akura Beer
Iwate Kura Beer
Ginka Kogen Geer
Echigo beer
Swan Lake Beer
Preston Ale
Hitachino Nest Beer
Roco Bear
Harvest Moon
August Beer
Sumida Brewing
Tama no Megumi
Yokohama Beer
Shonan Beer
Kamakura Beer
Tanzawa no Shizuku
Sagami Beer
Fuji Sakura Kogen
Baird Beer
Shiga Kogen Beer
OH! LA! HO! Beer
Minami Shinshu Beer