Went to Tokyo back in mid October---unlike last year's trip for the inaugural MBCT, this time it was not due to any particular beer fest related motivation---rather it's more of a chill trip---though having said so--beer visit to bars & bottle shops were still a big part of the trip---as well a prearranged bottle share session(which end up being more than once).
最近去了一趟东京，和去年为了首次搬来亚洲举办的第一届Mikkeller
Beer Celebration Tokyo(MBCT)而选在比较热的九月去不一样的是，今年不是奔着任何“啤酒节庆”而去，除了一场早先安排好的瓶子分享会，更多的是见见朋友走走喝喝聊聊。
虽然没有碰上什么精彩的“啤酒节”或厉害酿坊占领啤酒泵活动之类的，但东京作为亚洲为数不多拥有相当多高质量不同类型啤酒选择的城市之一还是比本地市场远远有趣的多，以下是这趟东京行的一些点滴：-
Here's some notes on the trip:-
The Slop Shop
Heard about this rather new bar & bottle shop located opposite a public park on a slope road in Nakane, Meguro area months ago before trip. It's not big, with 5 taps and some rather nice bottles selection in fridge--the thing about this small place is that the owners do import some of their beers---focusing on some smaller US breweries with well known names(such as GRIMM--the day i went there were some on taps as well some bottles available)---it is easy to see why one of the bar/bottle shop owner commented( prior to me visiting here) that this place is probably the best new thing in town.
The Slop Shop
算是东京最新啤点，开在目黑区中根公园对面斜坡路的小小酒吧兼瓶子店，虽然才开业不久，不过已引起不少东京以外亚洲啤迷注意，可以让同样也是在东京开酒吧/瓶子店的竞争对手说“这家是目前东京最有看点的店”这样的话，当然不会是泛泛之辈。
店里只有5个啤酒泵（不少专卖吧至少十多到三四十个啤酒泵），酒吧规模来说当然很小，不过因为也兼为瓶子店，选酒方面可以用冰柜里的瓶子选择填补不足之处，这家新店之所以能短时间内引起注意是因为店家除了跟日本其他进口商买酒之外，自己也进口一些亚洲至今没出现过的美国酿坊作品，而且有引入好口碑小酿坊作品倾向，会引起亚洲一些啤迷经常关注欧美酿坊的啤迷注意并不出奇。
Yorocco New Brewery
It has somehow became customary to meet up with my fellow beer blogger friend Neil (of Tokyo Beer Drinker blog) every time i visit Tokyo---no different this time--we decided to first visit Larry and his Beach Muffin vegan restaurant--which if you have already know--is the only dedicated Yorocco taproom in the whole of Japan. Though we did spoke about visiting the new brewery of Yorocco prior to meeting up---it was later revealed that the new place is rather the other side of where we were at---unlike what i thought was more of a nearer location---anyhow--we decided it was a trip worth doing and so we did---The new brewery is located somewhere in a rather outskirt housing area of Kamakura and it is NOT OPEN for Public Visit---but Neil do know people who works there hence a few text messages later--we were on our way.
The new brewery is converted from a small former wood working place---the reason for the location is quite straight forward--because one of the brewers who work for Yorocco--his family owns the land for the former wood working place--since there is a ready place to be utilized---nothing wrong to convert that place into a new beer brewing spot( what's more--Kento san's house is located right next to the brewery itself!).
While there---we had some casual chat as well drank a few beers including saison directly pulled from the tank by Kento san--met the main brewer/owner Akio san who came back briefly---it was a rather short visit since both myself and Neil has got another beer related trip to make other side of town---good thing is we both gotten a bottle or two of their new brew for the next appointment.
*Note--the new brewery is NOT open for public visit so it will be best to just visit Beach Muffin for some Yorocco beers on tap--plus good news is that with the newly acquired license they now can sell bottles for take away.
Yorocco新酿坊
和住东京英国人啤迷老友Neil在逗子市的Yorocco专卖点Beach Muffin喝喝聊聊，也算是探访餐厅老板朋友後决定半路兼程去探一下位置处于另一端的新酿坊，虽然新酿坊并不开放给人探访参观，不过因为有认识的人，很快就安排好了。
新酿坊位于离大船站或本鄉台站走路大约十多二十分钟一个住宅区内，是由之前的小型木工坊改造而成，选在这里的理由也很顺理成章，因为是酿酒师之一祖传家业，既然木工坊不做了，就换成酿坊，到访当天就是由这位“地主”接待，主创酿酒师Akio先生之后也外出回来，聊聊天也尝味了一两款酒槽内直接抽取的鲜啤酒，临走是买了当天仅有的一两款不同作品瓶子後和朋友各自分开去下一摊。
有意前往新酿坊的朋友注意，因为基本并不对外开放参观，想喝这家啤酒的还是直接去专属品酒餐馆Beach Muffin好了，最新情况是由于刚已申请到执照，这家餐馆可以有供外带的Yorocco瓶子卖了。
Titans
Went to this bar/ bottle shop after checking what's on tap for that evening--i do know that there was a Omnipollo + 3Sons tap takeover back in Sept when MBCT version 2 hit town--it was a surprise to find a 3sons stouts on tap since Sept event was already quite a while ago.
Knowing Corey the head brewer who attended MBCT did brought along some Vanilla Face bottles to Japan---i was tempted to ask the guy standing behind bar about how one could perhaps see a bottle or two of this limited release in US appearing somewhere at this bar? Well---it did as the guy pulled out one to show---but that's that--i did now even try to ask if he would consider selling or....sharing ")
Titans
今年九月因为东京啤酒庆典（MBCT），城中一些参与其盛的酒吧都有各自不同的欧美酿坊占领啤酒泵活动，其中最受啤迷注目的活动之一就是在这家酒吧兼瓶子店进行的美国3sons和瑞典Omnipollo联合活动，作为第一次在亚洲出现的美国黑啤爆红新贵，3sons的参与当然引起不少亚洲啤迷的注意。
当然，这次去这家酒吧瓶子店时距离九月的活动已经有好一段时间，不过去的当天意外的12款啤酒中有一款3sons黑啤，也有Omnipollo水果酸啤，然后和站在吧台後的鬼佬酒保聊天询问时，他因为我的问话而拿出了私藏的3sons今年只在美国酿坊限量发售的黑啤Vanilla Face让我望梅止渴。。。。
Bottle Sharing
Prior to making the trip--there was already 1 session of bottle share arranged with a few geeks friends(including some yet to meet in person)--for those in the known it is natural for geeks to want to have a share even though Tokyo can be easily considered as one of the best( if not the best) Asia city with the wider/better selections of craft beer.
Some really nice beers( and a couple of mead too) were had during the sharing session---which actually turned into 'extended version" of not just 1 session as initially planned but more than once......
BOTTLE SHARE with Delicious home made Peruvian food!!!
啤迷瓶子分享会
去之前就和长住东京的啤迷安排好一场私人聚会，重点当然是瓶子分享，虽然听起来有点好笑，去或许有着全亚洲最多不同类型啤酒选择的城市旅行还要自己带酒去，但啤迷有时候就是那样，私人瓶子分享会可以是比去在地酒吧喝更精彩更有趣的经验。
然后其实原本只是一场的瓶子分享会，因为不同朋友的临时起意，后来变成不只是一场，当中也出现了一些精彩佳酿。
在东京一周时间，除了上述点滴，也去了一些其他啤点，比如说第一天一如既往的第一站就去了熟悉的目白站附近田中屋瓶子店看看有没有什么意外惊喜，之间也去了跟北千住店属于同系的神田BeerMa酒吧瓶子店看看有什么收获，这之前也去了三轩茶屋两夫妇开的小店Pigalle坐坐，当然免不了每次一定会去位于涉谷红灯区一角的东京米吧喝上一两杯跟掌舵人打个招呼，其实这里坐坐那里走走的一周很快就过去了。虽然或许因为不够积极走动错过了去另外三家（一家主要以美国进口酒为号召，另外两家是日本在地酿坊品饮吧）探访的机会，这次东京啤酒出游记已有不少亮点，错过就期待下一次吧。
AND also:-
while the above were done during the 1 week trip---there were also some other beer spots visited including:-
1) the usual routine visit to TANAKAYA on the first day of each trip--basically just to see what's available during that period of visit and of course buying a few bottles either to drink during trip or to bring home to craft desert KL
2) Visiting Hide and Chie at Pigalle Tokyo has also almost been the theme of each visit though honestly the tiny bar/bottle shop can get really packed at times--it was when i visited this time but no big deal---this is a place worth your time if you have yet to visit.
3) BeerMa Kanda---actually found this bar/bottle shop by chance when walking around Kanda area looking for food---i do know there is one such place aside from their Kita-Senju shop which i have been to---quite nice place with bottles/cans selection in fridge upstairs--when you walked in it's the bar area with some food--guess this will be a more preferred location than the further away Kita-Senju shop next time around.
4) Mikkeller Tokyo---yeah--can't be in Tokyo without having to visit this bar known for located in a rather seedy area of Shibuya for once or twice( actually did it twice)----first evening there was a De Garde sour on tap which was quite nice---second visit was more about bumping into Hamilton san who came to visit his own bar--had a chat and got a surprise gift(or two) which was very kind of him....
5) Invited by geeks friend to another geek's house to watch Rugby World Cup and sipping some really quality fresh brew from the host's own home brew---plus a few bottles and nice food--what more can one ask for? A big Arigato to Mr & Mrs Hansen.
A week in Tokyo can go by very quickly---looking back while i did what was mentioned above---was also missing out on 3 places likely worth visiting( 1 is a new bar with different format from it's former self which was famous for some big US beers---another one is a fairly unknown Japanese brew taproom located in Kawasaki---as well another Local brew place headed by Kaijin/s)---well, maybe next time then.
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