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beertengoku · 5 years

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Japan loves its meat – yakiniku, yakitori, yaki—- everything if you can grill it, then you can probably find a place that sells it. All of these places have beer and meat in coming; however, it’s only in the last decade or so, that American-style BBQ has become popular. It’s messy, smokey, and time-consuming; however, the flavours and cuts of meat used vary greatly from the yakiniku you get served. The long, arduous process of marinating, smoking, and cutting the meat is left to the die-hard fans, while the rest of us can’t wait to consume it. Brisket, sausages, ribs, pulled pork – all of these are amazing when cooked well – we’ve had our fair share of it in Japan. We’ve gained weight because of it, lost weight, and gained the weight again, and no doubt will lose it and rinse and repeat the cycle.

This guide is for those wanting to have some bbq and craft beer – we’ve asked around with some local experts on what they like and where they would eat and drink.

The only constraints for these places are:

BBQ MUST be made in store and not from bought – so no places that order in BBQ for you.

BBQ HAS to be the main focus for food in the bar. BBQ with something else is fine, but BBQ as an afterthought is a no-no.

Craft beer has to be on tap and not in bottles – we have no problem with the latter; however, there is no difference then in making your own pizza and buying your own bottles for consumption at home.

Must be in the Kanto area – we’ve extended the area out now as there are some good choices outside of the Yamanote line.

Must have Japanese craft beer on tap – else it would just be a yakiniku listing with beer.

Without much further ado and in no particular order:

1) Baird Bashamichi Taproom in Bashamichi, Yokohama

Being a Brit, the idea of a BBQ for most of the small nation contains sausages burnt on the outside, and frozen on the inside, alongside some rubbery bits of meat that could be steak or pork. And sauces? Well you’ve got the choice of tomato sauce, some mayonnaise, or salad cream. Maybe some BBQ sauce too. One of the first BBQ places I went to in Japan was Baird Bashamichi Taproom back in late 2011 – and my mind was turned. The selection of meats at Baird Bashamichi Taproom is simple and straightforward, and all well made. The sides also go well with the meats and range from simple staples, such as corn bread and mac & cheese, to salads for vegetarians and also some flammkuchen-like pizzas. The taps are all Baird Beer with plenty of styles to choose from to go with whatever meat or sauce you choose to go with your meal.

Review: Baird Bashamichi Taproom in Kannai, Yokohama

2) Hatos in Naka-Meguro, Tokyo

Hatos, located in Naka-meguro, has long been a stalwart in the Tokyo community for BBQ. If you have not booked, it’s also one of the most busiest places for both craft beer and BBQ too – with queues and waiting times upwards of a few hours. It was also the first place in Tokyo to sell pit BBQ style food – with smoked pork sliders aka smoked pork burgers, pulled pork, baby back ribs, and some other specials throughout the year, such as chili, sausages, and other meats like chicken or beef. The sides are basic with fries and salsa, chili beans with corn bread, and the ubiquitous mac & cheese. The range may be narrower than other places on this list, but the food is highly recommended and the craft beer on tap – with Shiga Kogen well represented and also beers from overseas – pairing very well with the meats on the menu too.

Review: Hatos Bar in Nakameguro, Tokyo

3) Smokehouse in Yoyogi-Uehara, Tokyo

Shibuya is better known for fashion than drinking; however, Smokehouse, previously called Urban BBQ Smokehouse, brought BBQ to the Shibuya area, thanks to TY Harbor. While Smokehouse may not be the “first authentic BBQ” as advertised on the Smokehouse website, it does offer up authentic south American BBQ food, with the familiar brisket, sausages, pulled pork, alongside more modern dishes such as smoked chicken, chicken burgers, and also sliders too. As always, you can find the common sides of mac & cheese, pickles, and corn bread, with other options such as grits, smoked nuts, and green veggies. For those people wanting something different, there are also some more unusual offerings for a BBQ restaurant, with fish dishes on the menu too. Smokehouse is also one of the pricier places to go to get BBQ food however the portions are large enough to share for two or three people. The taps are mostly TY Harbor offerings with some guest beers on tap, though there are plenty of styles to choose from.

Review: Urban BBQ Smokehouse in Shibuya, Tokyo

4) Nawlins BBQ & Craft Beer House in Yokosuka, Kanagawa

Of all places prime for a BBQ place, then a city home to one of of Japan’s largest US naval populations should have been at the forefront. Nawlins BBQ & Craft Beer House opened in 2014, and since then has become a popular place for locals and tourists alike to pick up some BBQ food, and also New Orleans cooking, hence the name Nawlins – the tourist pronunciation of New Orleans. The food is split between both BBQ cooking, with options of Baby back ribs, St Louis spare ribs, Texas style brisket, Chicken legs, Andouille sausage, and Memphis style pulled pork on the menu, along with traditional cooking from New Orleans and southern cusines, such as Po’ boy sandwiches, gumbo, and catfish. There is also a wide range of taps of craft beer, with selections from both domestic breweries and overseas options on the menu too.

Review: Nawlins BBQ & Craft Beer Bar in Yokosuka, Kanagawa

5) Midtown BBQ in Kannai, Yokohama

One of the newest BBQ places in Kanagawa that came highly rated – and for good reason. The original branch in Nagoya is often fully booked, and their wagyu brisket sells out so fast that even with a reservation you’re not guaranteed to get some. There are plenty of options for meat lovers – sausages, chicken, ribs, brisket – and the best thing about it is that you can get it to take away if you can’t finish off the portions. Pair this up with a varied selection of domestic and imported craft beers, and you’re set for a lunch or evening of great meat and beers.

Review: Midtown BBQ in Kannai, Yokohama

6) Rise & Win Brewing Co. Kamikatz Taproom in Minato, Tokyo

It’s not all about American BBQ on this list, as the food at Rise & Win Brewing Co. Kamikatz Taproom is based on BBQ and grilled meats, so vegetarians should try getting food elsewhere. However, it’s not your usual American style BBQ, but more traditional with meats grilled over coals – known as hibachi. Japanese BBQ, while often thought to be yakiniku, is far more simpler than that, with coals being used to cook instead of gas flames. The menu focuses on locally grown, and on occasion organic, food sourced from around the area. While Kamikatz beers vary in quality – we’ve had some good ones and some bad ones on the site – there is plenty of choice here, so you can find something you’ll like.

Review: Rise & Win Brewing Co. Kamikatz Taproom

7) Barchie’s in Kamakura, Kanagawa

A late addition to this list is somewhere we came across on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Kamakura. Barchie’s came recommended to us via a friend who had been there and exalted about the ribs and also their craft beer. If someone recommends a place this much to us, you know we have to go. And we weren’t disappointed. Everything is cooked in-house over coals, with some wood used for smoking, and the ribs! Wow! They are seriously huge though you may order more than one. Be careful, there is a lot of meat on those ribs and I was definitely happy after one, but next time I go, I’m going back for two – or even three of them!

Review: Barchie’s in Kamakura, Kanagawa

Following on from pizza and chips, we have BBQ and beer. #craftbeer #bbq #beer Japan loves its meat - yakiniku, yakitori, yaki---- everything if you can grill it, then you can probably find a place that sells it.

#Kanagawa Bar #Kanto Bar #Tokyo Bar

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beertengoku · 5 years

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{:en}What comes first – the brewery or the beer? In this day and age, with contract breweries making beer for others, and phantom breweries popping up at different breweries to make a beer before going elsewhere, it’s not a straightforward question. Moreover, if you’ve dealt with any Japanese official then you’ll have been met with bureaucracy galore.

Far Yeast Brewing may seem like a relatively new brewery compared to others in Japan; however, their Kagua range of beers gave them a good head start in the craft beer industry in Japan. And also an unusual route into getting their beers sold around the world too. However, their beer came before a brewery was established and it’s interesting to see how Yamada-san, owner of Far Yeast Brewing Company, started his long and storied road into making craft beer, owning a company that exports craft beer from Japan and also overseas, as well as a bar in Shibuya.

Yamada-san had worked as a venture capitalist, and had been involved in internet start-up companies in Japan. He was studying for an MBA in 2005 at Cambridge when Baron Bilimoria, himself a Cambridge graduate, came to deliver a presentation to students at Judge College on the Cobra Beer operation. Yamada was already knowledgeable about beer in Europe after having visited Belgium and Munich – two European powerhouses of beer. Listening to Bilimoria talk Cobra Beer and how it is suited to Indian cuisine (its low carbonation and soft flavours pair nicely with a spicy curry), Yamada-san had an idea – how about a beer brewed to pair with Japanese food? While Asahi Super Dry may be well known outside of Japan for its clean (or some might say bland) taste, it does not pair with the often delicate flavours found in Japanese food.

After numerous attempts, making adjustments along the way, Yamada-san chose two adjuncts to be used: sanshō, (Japanese pepper), and yuzu (Japanese citron). Both of these ingredients are often used in Japanese cooking, with sansho used as a sprinkling on kabayaki-unagi (broiled eel) and sometimes yakitori (grilled chicken). It is also one of the seven ingredients of shichimi, Japanese seven spice. Yuzu peel is often used as a garnish for dishes, while its flesh is used in ponzu sauce.

Starting out as Nippon Craft Beer Company in 2011, and with these two flavours, the Kagua range was born. However, working from his apartment meant that a brewery was needed to make these beers. For this he contacted De Graal brewery in East Flanders, on the edge of the Flemish Ardennes. As sansho and yuzu are indigenous to Japan, these are picked and then flown over to Belgium. Once the Kagua beers are made, they are then exported to Japan and other countries.

Yet, this wasn’t enough for Yamada-san. The Kagua (馨和, which translates to “Japanese aroma”) range of beers are often viewed as being Belgian and not Japanese – simply because they are brewed in Belgium. Therefore, Yamada-san began looking for a brewery in Japan to make a range of craft beer for the Japanese market, brewed in Japan.

In 2015, the Nippon Craft Beer Company decided to change their name. The name “Far Yeast” originates from the craft beer brand the company launched in April 2013, which served as the follow-up to its first brand, Kagua. The thinking was that, as Japan is often referred to as being in the “Far East” by those in Europe (the birthplace of beer), the company aimed to deliver great beers from this “far east” place. This explains not only why the company named one of its beers Far Yeast, but it also describes the overall philosophy of the company.

Sonata village, located in Yamanashi, is probably a new name to all but the most knowledgeable of Japanese villages. On the day of our interview, it also proved to be one of the most inaccessible too – with power lines down, and fallen trees lining the roads after a massive typhoon hit Kanto. Yet, this village was home to one of Japan’s largest car navigation manufacturers too. The building was lying empty when Yamada-san came across it. it filled both criteria for a brewery – it was close to Tokyo, and also cheap.

With the license obtained in 2017, Far Yeast Brewing named the brewery Genryu Brewery (The Headwaters Brewery) and started off with a simple line of a Belgian style IPA, Tokyo Blonde and Tokyo White. All of the beers produced use local groundwater from the River Tama. These beers come in a variety of labels too, with the beers sold in the local area branded with a label found only in the area, while those sold outside of the village having a different labels.

Stepping inside the brewery was an unusual experience. There main office seemed like a community centre, with some long fold-out tables and chairs being used for desks, while inside the brewery itself, the layout of the brewery itself is a remnant of the car navigation factory. With ceiling height restricting placement of the mash and hot liquor tuns, as well as the fermenters, everything is at the front of the building. The back and sides of the brewery are more interesting, as Yamada-san explained the future of the brewery. With the barrel aging program and also sours deemed a success both commercially and with feedback from customers, some of the brewery has been set aside to allow an expansion, with the potential for more barrels. The bottling system has also increased in size, with an eye for a canning line too.

Far Yeast Brewing Company are also working hard to get their beers into smaller places that might not be your first choice to drink craft beer. Kirin approached them to make beers for their Tap Marche system, and the 4L PET Bottles used for the system can also be spotted around the brewery, with chilled filled ones wrapped up in black cellophane wrap to stop skunking from light. While craft beer lovers may not be fans of the system, it’s going to certainly challenge the method of how beers are delivered and sold.

The staff at Far Yeast Brewing also have an equal say into the recipes of the beers made too. A democratic process that allows everyone to come up with an idea, and also helps out during the brewing process too. All of the staff take turns in the various stages of brewing beer – from mashing to bottling, measuring to cleaning, and PR too.

Far Yeast Brewing Company are ubiquitous at beer festivals across Japan, and all the members on the team go to as many festivals and events as their schedules allow. There is a two-fold reason for this: getting the Far Yeast Brewing brand out as much as possible but also trying to get as much feedback from drinkers as possible. While the brewing process is democratic, getting feedback is vital to improving their beers according to Yamada-san. There have also been numerous collaborations with breweries and communities, both domestically and overseas. These beers have also been used to test out new techniques, such as barrel aging using red and white wine barrel, kettle sours using cherries, and peaches, gose, and also pine needles.

The final piece in the Far Yeast Brewing Company lineup is the taproom located in Shibuya called Far Yeast Tokyo Craft Beer & Bao. The bar opened in 2017 and specialises in bao, a steamed soft bun with a variety of fillings inside, with the full Far Yeast Brewing lineup on tap., has grown to host a variety of events, from special magazine events to music nights. Due to licensing laws, though, it’s not possible to buy bottles to take home. While Yamada-san didn’t give anything away with regards to expansion of the chain, there was a wry smile on his face as talked about the possibility of it.

With plans for collaboration beers and also further expansion into different brewing styles, Far Yeast Brewing’s change from a phantom brewery to one with a physical location and firm plans for the future goes at odds with how many breweries in Japan started. The evolving lineup and collaboration is going to be exciting to see.{:}{:ja}何が最初に来るか – 醸造所かビールか？契約醸造所が他の人のためにビールを製造し、ファントム醸造所が別の醸造所に現れてビールを製造しているこの時代には、それは簡単な質問ではありません。さらに、もしあなたが日本の役人と話をしたことがあれば、あなたは官僚主義に遭遇したことでしょう。

ファーイーストブルーイングは、日本の他の醸造所と比べて比較的新しい醸造所のように思えるかもしれません。しかし、彼らの「馨和」のビールは日本のクラフトビール業界で良いスタートを切りました。そしてまた彼らのビールを世界中で売る珍しいルートも。

しかし、彼らのビールはビール醸造所の設立前にやってきて、ファーイーストブルーイングのオーナーである山田さんがいかにしてクラフトビールを製造するようになり、クラフトビールを国内外から輸出している会社だけでなく渋谷のバーを経営しているのを知るのは興味深いことです。

山田さんはベンチャーキャピタリストとして働いていて、日本のインターネットスタートアップ企業に関わっていました。彼が2005年にケンブリッジでMBAのために勉強していたときに、ケンブリッジの卒業生であるBaron Bilimoria がCobra Beerの運営についてJudge Collegeの学生にプレゼンテーションを行いました。山田さんは2つのヨーロッパのビールの大国であるベルギーとミュンヘンを訪問した後だったので、ヨーロッパのビールについてすでに知識がありました。

山田さんはBilimoriaの、Cobra Beerがインド料理にどのように適しているか（その低炭酸とソフトな風味がスパイシーなカレーと相性が良い）、という話を聞き、日本の料理と合わせるビールはどうだろうと考えました。アサヒスーパードライは、その清潔な（または口当たりの良いと言う人もいるかもしれない）味で日本の外でよく知られているかもしれませんが、それは日本の食べ物に見られるしばしば繊細な風味と対になりません。

山田さんは何度も試みて、途中で調整を加えながら、使用する付加物として山椒と柚子の2つを選びました。どちらも日本の料理によく使われています。山椒は、蒲焼きうなぎ、焼き鳥などに振りかけています。日本の七味の7つの成分の一つです。ゆずの皮は料理の飾りとしてよく使われ、その果肉はポン酢で使われます。

2011年に日本クラフトビールカンパニーとして始まり、これら2つのフレーバーで、「馨和」蚊ぐわシリーズが誕生しました。しかし、彼のアパートから仕事をすることは、これらのビールを作るために醸造所が必要であることを意味しました。このために彼は、Flemish Ardennesの端にあるEast FlandersのDe Graal醸造所に連絡しました。山椒と柚子は日本固有のものであるため、これらをベルギーに送りました。 Kaguaビールが作られると、それらは日本や他の国々に輸出されます。

しかし、山田さんにはこれだけでは不十分でした。 Kagua（馨和、「日本の香り」と言います）のビールは、ベルギー産で、日本産ではないと見なされることが多いのですが、それは単にベルギーで醸造されているからです。そのため、山田さんは日本で醸造された日本市場向けのクラフトビールを作るために日本で醸造所を探し始めました。

2015年、日本クラフトビールカンパニーは社名変更を決定しました。「ファーイースト」という名前は、2013年4月に創業したクラフトビールブランドに由来し、最初のブランドである「馨和」の後継となりました。考えは、日本がヨーロッパ（ビールの発祥地）の人々によって「Far Yeast（極東）」にいるとしばしば言われるので、会社がこの「ファーイースト（極東）」の場所から素晴らしいビールを届けることを目的としていくということでした。これは、同社がそのビールの1つをFar Yeastに指定した理由だけでなく、会社の全体的な哲学についても説明しています。

山梨にある其方村Sonata Villageは、おそらく日本の村を最もよく知っている人以外は誰にでも新しい名前でしょう。私たちのインタビューの日には、それがまた最もアクセスし辛いものの1つであることが証明されました。そして、巨大な台風が関東を襲った後に倒れた木が道を塞いでいました。それでも、この村は日本最大のカーナビゲーションメーカーの本拠地でした。山田さんがそれに出会ったとき、建物は空っぽでした。それは醸造所の両方の基準を満たしていました – 東京に近く、そしてまた安価でした。

2017年に取得したライセンスで、ファーイーストブルーイングは醸造所を源流ブルワリーと名付け、ベルギースタイルのIPAと東京ブロンドと東京ホワイトのラインナップから始めました。生産されたすべてのビールは、多摩川の地元の地下水を利用しています。これらのビールにはさまざまなラベルがあり、地元で販売されているビールにはその地域でしか見られないラベルが付いていますが、村外で販売されているビールには異なるラベルが付いています。

ビール醸造所の中に足を踏み入れるのは珍しい経験でした。醸造所自体の内部には、醸造所自体のレイアウトはカーナビゲーション工場の名残でありながら、本部のオフィスはコミュニティセンターのように見え、机には長い折りたたみ式のテーブルと椅子が使用されていました。天井の高さがマッシュやホットリカーの醸造桶、発酵槽の配置を制限しているので、すべてが建物の正面にあります。

山田さんが醸造所の将来について説明したように、醸造所の裏と側面はもっと面白いです。樽熟成プログラムとまた商業的にそして顧客からのフィードバックの両方で成功し、醸造所のいくつかはより多くの樽の可能性と共に拡大を可能にするために取りおかれました。ボトリングシステムもサイズが大きくなり、缶詰めラインにも注目しています。

ファーイーストブルーイングはまた、クラフトビールを飲むことがあなたの最初の選択ではないかもしれない小さい場所に彼らのビールを入れるために一生懸命働いています。キリンは彼らのTap Marcheシステムのためにビールを作るように彼らに働きかけました、そして、システムのために使われる4L PETボトルはまた醸造所で見ることができます。クラフトビール愛好家はシステムのファンではないかもしれませんが、それは確かにビールがどのように配達されそして売られるかの方法に挑戦することになるでしょう。

ファーイーストブルーイングのスタッフも、作ったビールのレシピについて同じように言っています。みんながアイデアを思いつくことを可能にし、また醸造プロセスの間にも手助けする民主的なプロセス。スタッフ全員がビールの醸造から瓶詰め、計量、清掃、広報まで、さまざまな段階で役割を担当します。

ファーイーストブルーイングは日本中のビール祭りに参加しています、そして、チームのすべてのメンバーは彼らのスケジュールが許す限り多くの祭りやイベントに行きます。これには2つの理由があります。ファーイーストブルーイングブランドをできるだけ多く出すことですが、できるだけ多くの飲酒者からフィードバックを得ようとすることです。山田さんによると、醸造プロセスは民主的ですが、フィードバックを得ることは彼らのビールを向上させるために不可欠です。

国内外で醸造所や地域社会とのコラボレーションも数多くあります。赤ワインや白ワインの樽を使ったバレルエージング、チェリー、ゴーぜや松の木を使ったケトルサワーなどの新しいテクニックを試すこともできます。

ファーイーストブルーイングのラインナップの最後のピースは、ファーイースト東京クラフトビールとバオと呼ばれる渋谷にあるタップルームです。 2017年にオープンしたバーでは、バオという豊富な種類の詰め物を入れた蒸した柔らかいパンと、ファーイーストブルーイングのフルラインナップを用意しています。特別な雑誌のイベントから音楽の夜まで、さまざまなイベントを開催します。ただし、免許法により、持ち帰り用にボトルを購入することはできません。山田さんはチェーンの拡大に関して何も譲っていませんでしたが、その可能性について話されているように彼の顔には笑顔がありました。

コラボレーションビールの計画とさまざまな醸造スタイルへのさらなる拡大により、ファーイーストブルーイングはファントム醸造所から物理的な場所を持つ醸造所への変更と将来のための確固たる計画が日本の醸造所の開始数と相反します。進化するラインナップとコラボレーションを見ると楽しくなるでしょう。{:}

Far Yeast Brewing Company Interview・ファーイーストブルーイングのインタビュー {:en}What comes first - the brewery or the beer? In this day and age, with contract breweries making beer for others, and phantom breweries popping up at different breweries to make a beer before going elsewhere, it’s not a straightforward question.

#Chubu Brewery #Far Yeast Brewing Company #Yamanashi Brewery

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