Sakura Steam Beer by Loco Brewing

I have it on pretty good authority that the beer made by Loco Brewing using my Wan Cup 2006 winning recipe is on sale at Ushi Tora (Shimokitazawa) at the moment. With any luck it might last a few days, but I believe they only have a few kegs and that will be it. So if you make a special trip, it might be better to call ahead to be sure. It is the one listed on the blog as "3, さくらスチームラガー（千葉）ＮＥＷ！" (Sakura Steam Lager(Chiba) NEW!")

For directions to Ushi Tora, please click on this link to my "My Tokyo" Google Map. Click on the blue marker for directions and zoom in for a more detailed map.

If you try it, please let me know what you think.

Ushi Tora & Baird Four Sisters Spring Bock

Tokyo has only a handful of bars devoted to showcasing Japanese craft beer. Two of them are located within spitting distance of one another in Shimokitazawa, a cool and trendy little neighbourhood about 5 minutes from Shibuya on an Inokashira express train.

On Friday evening I visited one of these bars, Ushi Tora. I was pleasantly surprised at the relatively small size and cosy atmosphere. But it was impressive that they had some 23 beers on tap, plus three on hand pump. It seemed to be very quiet considering it was Friday night -- an undiscovered gem? The master was knowledgeable and available, but gave us plenty of time and space to make our selections.

I am always eager to try any of the seasonal offerings from Baird Beer (Shizuoka), and was intrigued to see both a Scottish 60 shilling and "spring" bock on the menu. My friend ordered the 60 shilling only for the keg to blow. I ordered a pint of the spring bock and had more luck.

I hadn't twigged to the fact that "spring" bock meant it would be a helles or maibock and was expecting a dark coloured beer. So I was initially surprised when this palish beer arrived. But my synapses re-connected and I thought, hmm OK, this could be interesting. In the end, it turned out to be a superb beer. I'd maybe even go so far as to say it was the best beer I have ever had from Mr. Baird, and that is saying a lot!

Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep gold, brilliantly clear, thin white persistent head 4.5/5
Aroma
Malt, faint suggestions of tropical fruit or honey 8/10
Flavour
Rich malt, honey, balanced by slightly more spicy hop bitterness than you'd expect, but it worked to add complexity, alcohol warmth, all in superb balance 18/20
Mouthfeel
Full bodied without being cloying, aftertaste that goes on and on and on 5/5
Overall impression
A knockout. 9/10
Total: 44.5/50

I also had a pint of Iwate IPA. The Spring Bock stayed with me though the glass, but the IPA held its own. I should also note that both beers were served at perfect temperature and with only just enough carbonation to keep the beer fresh and pushed out of the keg. In other words, perfect. Overall, a very enjoyable couple of beers in a setting to which I can see myself returning.

Me three!

Stephen Beaumont gives the copy cat syndrome of Irish/British bars a spray. Couldn't agree more. It is exactly the same here in Japan. Bar managers tend to be an unimaginative lot not especially interested in promoting local craft beer. They don't know much about it, it requires too much hard work, the margins are lower and/or over-the-counter prices are higher, and they are worried about wasting valuable tap space on a potentially slow-moving product. Much easier and safer to go with the Guinness, Kilkenny, Bass triumvarate.

But times have changed and are changing still. Of course, like anywhere, there are dedicated craft beer bars like Popeye, Ushi-Tora, and Kura Kura all doing their bit for Japanese craft beer. But it is the neighbourhood and big chain English/Irish pubs that really need to have a good hard think about themselves. As Stan Heironymous mentions in his response to Stephen's post, places that offer something a bit interesting and surpising are the ones who will differentiate themselves and attract those customers who are looking for that something more.

One minor problem here in Japan is the up and down quality of the craft beer breweries. You really do need to be careful and discerning about what you select to put on offer. Despite there being probably hundreds of small breweries, you could count on a butcher's hand the number that have a reputation for reliably producing remarkable beer. So it is certainly a bit of a tough old job for the average bar manager to sort through the chaff to find something worthy of showcasing as a "beer de jour". And aside from the bar's considerations, it will also be counterproductive to the craft beer industry if crap "ji-biiru" from one of the many clueless operators is set up as a representative of what craft beer is all about.

Nevertheless, in this competitive market, I predict that more pubs are going to see the light and start offering more and more unusual or guest beers. Yona Yona has gradually penetrated the market and even comes in a hand pumped format at a number of places. A couple of places have even entered into arrangements with breweries to offer a house ale. These are promising signs of a desire to differentiate.