Brown Lion, Brown Beer

A pub in my neighbourhood called the Black Lion has been running a three-part series of mini beer festivals. The first one was titled "Black, Lion Black Beer", the second "White Lion, White Beer," and the third one, scheduled for April 14 & 15 '07, will be called "Brown Lion, Brown Beer".

I reviewed the White Beer fest in the March issue of Brews News (coming to this link soon). My bottom line conclusion was that I strongly support the idea of these small-scale, themed beer festivals. Tomo at the Black Lion has put together good selections of Japanese craft brews and imported beers allowing us to sample Japanese craft beers alongside examples of the style originating from their "home" province. For example, at the "white" day, classic German hefewizens from Germany beside locally-produced examples (but he missed an opportunity to compare Hitachino Nest White Ale with the Celis White and St. Bernado's White that the had on tap -- never mind, there is always room for improvement).

I hope the Black Lion or similar venues take up Tomo's very innovative and creative foray into the promotion of good beer in Japan. Every little bit helps push back the dark shroud of Sapasakirisun that hangs over the land. A key bit of information is that Tomo is offering a price saving for advance ticket purchases up until the 13th April: 3 x half pints for 1300 yen (1500 yen on the day) or 3 x pints for 2500 yen (2700 yen on the day).