WEEK 132-----A Week in Tokyo (with beers-mead & friends)

Because of first ever in Asia #MBCT2018---went to Tokyo for a week end of Sept.

For the past few years---annual visit to Tokyo or occasional visit to Kansai area has almost always only in either March/April or Oct/Nov when the weather is cooler---nicer to walk around for someone who lives in a country where it's hot or rain 365---but this year because of MBCT the trip was brought forward to September----a month where rain is quite expected and not as cooling as what a month or two later would bring

场景是涉谷一家酒吧，一位来自美国德州的酿酒师刚走进酒吧门口就看到一班亚洲啤迷围着一桌子已喝完或喝到七七八八的啤酒瓶在拍“瓶子团体照”，而这些瓶子（除了一瓶）都是这位美国酿酒师的自家酿坊作品，于是酿酒师也拿起手机开始拍这班亚洲啤迷在拍瓶子的模样，然后亚洲啤迷中有人认出这位笑容可掬的老外其实就是Jester King酿坊主人Jeffrey Stuffings，就那样，来自美国的酿酒师和来自亚洲不同城市的啤迷在東京上演了一出即兴的短暂见面会，这就是craft社区的无形引力。

MBCT啤酒庆典关系，在天气不是下雨就是炎热的九月份去了一趟东京，那个星期的東京飞来了不少台湾香港韩国新马泰啤迷，让无论是已相互认识的或之前只在啤迷社交媒体上或打过招呼或只见过名字照片的都聚在同一个城市，因为那样也跟一些之前没见过面或不认识的啤迷朋友们有了真正意义上的喝酒聊天打招呼机会，就像上述见面会那样，对美味啤酒的共识拉近了原本是陌生人的啤迷/酿酒师之间距离。

Not so pleasing weather aside---the trip to Tokyo was obviously a pleasant one---besides MBCT ---it was a week full of good beers--good food as well meeting up old and new friends---all in the name of craft beer/mead.

MBCT is the reason why geeks/drinkers flew in from Taiwan/Hong Kong/Korea/Singapore/Bangkok & Malaysia---I was also excited for a bottle share session (prearranged before flying out) with some geeks living in Tokyo as well the chance of meeting some people from other cities of Asia whom i have either only known from craft beer community social media but never met in person or some whom i have actually met previously.

啤酒庆典前好几天就到了，这次出行，MBCT两天四场庆典是焦点，加上出发前就和住東京几位外国啤迷朋友约好的瓶子分享会，所以并没有去很多不同酒吧或者说特意找之前没去过的酒吧看看，这次除了因为冲着北欧名牌Omnipollo占领啤酒泵活动去了位于大塚站附近的Titans酒吧瓶子店之外，基本都是去回之前已介绍过的几家店比如很快会搬去三轩茶屋以提供不少美国盛名啤酒为人知的涉谷名店Craftheads，一直盘根在三轩茶屋的欧陆风小店 Pigalle，东京“米吧”等啤点见见朋友喝喝聊聊。

除了在城里几个不同啤点，也跟相识多年的住日英国人啤迷朋友去了一趟距离東京一小时左右火车程逗子市再访一家素食小餐厅兼日本酿坊Yorocco唯一专属品饮室，去的当天，人不多，五个啤酒泵上全都是Saison(农场风格啤酒），听起来一样但依据不同食材水果酿造所以都有着或细微或明显不同之处，和老朋友吃喝聊聊，过了个非常惬意舒适下午。

Bottle share has been my favourite way of "drink less taste more" since discovering the pleasure of tasting some years ago---this time around--- a planned single sharing session became two---the first one was at a geek's home while another session few days later was held at a rather interesting place--a common area/public area inside a high-end commercial building in Tokyo( i can imagine security guards throwing us out if the session were to be held here in KL).

Of the two bottle sharing sessions--of course line up wise the first one was really up there with some exciting ones--some varieties from the likes of Bullfrog(awesome sour) Hillfarmstead(Nelson) Bottle logic(Let The Grain Begin)---plus that "super hyped" Toppling Goliath Mornin Delight--also "hyped" Cantillon Blabaer 2018( which tasted so so fine with blueberry goodness coming through nicely)--and then the much awaited mead of Banana Pancake from Pips(no words really--if you love say cake or pastry or food with banana in it--this one is quite something else--i can't imagine anything with banana in real food term can be this tasty) and also Statement from Schramms which shows why mead lovers treat Schramms in such high regard.

The second bottle sharing session was more of a fun one --no big big names brew but good company with some newly met geeks.

这次行程重点节目之一是动身前就说好的瓶子分享会，说重点节目是因为有不少重量级盛名难寻瓶子。不过第一次分享会后，朋友又建议了另一次跟另外几位不认识的啤迷新朋友分享会，变成了两次趣味迥然不同的瓶子分享会，第一次是在一位啤迷住家进行，另一次则相当有趣的在一栋高级商住大厦的室内公共空间自带冷却袋杯子还有洗杯子的瓶装水等类似野餐聚会的方式瓶子分享会。两次分享会，瓶子阵容以第一次在啤迷家中最精彩，除了有从美国带回来的新鲜类果汁IPA，重点是出现了比如Toppling Goliath酿坊出名难寻黑市炒到几百美金一瓶的咖啡黑啤Mornin Delight，比如Schramms和Pips这两家顶级蜜酒作坊的酿品，也有比如Hillfarmstead，Bottle Logic等盛名美国酿坊作品，加上喝起来出乎意料之外美味的2018年版本比利时大师级酿坊Cantillon蓝莓天然发酵果酸啤酒Blaeber，让分享会水平提到一个新高点。

As it turns out---i did not visit many bars during the week in Tokyo--was mostly going back to bars/bottle shop i been visiting previous trips because some old/new friends were there---for examples the visit to Craftheads Shibuya was to meet up with some "strangers" from Taiwan craft beer community who of course are no longer strangers now. It was an evening pack full of geeks and brewers who came to town for MBCT----shortly after walking in the bar there they were--Drew & Hannah of 18th Street Brewery---as well bumping into geeks from Singapore/Thailand and some Americans/Canadian geeks who lives in Tokyo---and then when Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester King walked in and joined group of mainly Taiwanese Asian geeks who were busy taking group photo of Jester King bottles--it quickly turned into an impromptu meet the brewer session..... 

Also went to Yorocco taproom Beach Muffin in Zhusi( an hour or so by train from Tokyo) with my first Tokyo beer friend Neil whom i always make it a point to share a few beers whenever im in town.And then good time sharing some beers and chat with some known friends/geeks/ newly met friends from Hong Kong/Taiwan and Japan at Pigalle Tokyo, that little beer shop located at Sangenjaya. The only new place( as in i have never visited previously) i went during the week was Titans nearby Otsuka Station because of a certain Omnipollo tap takeover with really good selection both on tap and bottles--and also bumping into some geeks living in Tokyo  as well a geek friend whom i have only met briefly last year in a beer event at Shimokitazawa-- intended short visit to the bar became a much longer stay for the evening.

在東京，去瓶子店看看是少不了的指定动作，有打算买些啤酒回酒店喝或者说结束旅程後带回自己所在城市的啤迷都知道这里好些瓶子店值得一探，比如位于目白站附近转角处卖很多威士忌和其他酒类但也卖不少欧美啤酒特别是每次都会有比利时酸啤瓶子但所有瓶子只能带走不能在店内喝的Tanakaya，比如位于北千住站附近商业街已从之前只是瓶子店变身为有提供啤酒泵版本啤酒可在店内喝的Beer Ma，或者说距离涉谷站走路可到以比利时啤酒为主的可喝可带走瓶子小店Hiranoya，都可以先去走走看看之后再规划/决定接下来几天去哪里喝什么，这次虽说重点放在两天啤酒庆典和瓶子分享会，还是习惯性的第一天就去瓶子店走走看看有什么值得先买点收着的。

Of course---coming from craft desert KL--bottle shop is always a place i would visit upon first day of arriving ---no exception this time though i did not buy much at all at Tanakaya---did not visit Hiranoya this time but end up kinda accidentally visiting Beer Ma nearby Kitasenju station on last day while walking around Asakusa area and bumped into a fast train going that way.

短短一周，虽然几乎天天下雨，再不然就是在两天啤酒庆典少有的大太阳底下几乎烤焦，回看喝过或带回来啤酒/蜜酒收获，还有新旧啤迷/酿酒师朋友聊聊喝喝时光，这次東京行是不理想天气下仍然亮丽的啤旅程。

The weather has not been kind---it was either raining all day mostly or for that two day when MBCT was held---it was burning sun--too hot to handle---but beer wise(and mead too)---be it whatever drank during that week in Tokyo or what was hauled back to KL--it certainly was a really nice beer/mead week with some good company over many different parts of the world coming together in Tokyo in the name of craft beer......