In the world of craft beer---tasty good beers is the obvious target for geeks--but at times some geeks do go after glasses--there are those who just cannot resist a nice glass or glasses. While i'm not a glass collector---here's some glasses related memories:-
啤迷之间收集杯子是常有的事，除了品嚐细味好酒需要之外，杯子加照片其实也可以是品酒记录一部份。以下是一些跟杯子有关的小故事：-
What Mikkeller Bangkok did to celebrate their first anniversary back in early 2015 was never seen for a bar here in Asia----basically what the guys have done is brought a very small version of then CBC week into Bangkok craft beer scene---there was lots of TTO activities through that week---to top it off---there was a 2 days event where people pay a fixed amount for over 100 different beers (50 TAPS per day with different beers to select from) ---the scale of selections available back then was unheard of this part of the world.
Though i could not attend that event ( this glass was bought at Mikkeller Tasting Room some time later after event)---i have seen the beer list for those 2 epic days--it was epic for sure and the people behind/in front of scene for Mikkeller Bangkok did showed their intention and determination to bring in not only good tasty beers but also going that extra miles to bring in some first in Asia or hard to see in Asia kind of breweries/beers/mead for the enjoyment of geeks be it living in and around Bangkok or beyond borders......
1）曼谷米吧一周年纪念小杯
好些年前，为了庆祝一周年庆，曼谷米吧办了一个堪称前所未见的活动，这小杯子就是当时现场用杯。作为当时全亚洲唯一米吧，为期两天的一周年庆特意挑选了100款主要来自欧美不同酿坊不同类型风格啤酒，两天都有50款不同选酒，参与活动人们只需入场前付一个预定价格然后全场啤酒就可随意选喝。
虽然当时没能飞到曼谷参与其盛（杯子是之后在酒吧买的周年庆後“存货”），但还记得当年酒单选择在亚洲酒吧来说实属少见，当时开始曼谷米吧就展现了时不时引入亚洲较少见/难寻欧美好酒的魄力。
2) HOTD Glass----@Craftheads Shibuya
Of course Hair of the Dog is a brewery from the States---though this photo is showing HOTD beer and glass---it was actually taken in a craft beer bar thousands of miles away in Shibuya Tokyo ---Craftheads has always been a bar very much worth the walk from Shibuya Station especially some years ago when grey importing/geeks personal beer mail was not that commonly seen----this is one bar in Tokyo where if you are a big fan of some "harder to find" US breweries at that time such as Three Floyds, Alesmith, HOTD , The Lost Abbey and some others---this is one place you can always hope to find something out of their old school photo album-style bottle list---from farmhouse ale to big stouts such as Dark Lord, the list was quite amazing for a craft beer bar here in Asia back then.
However---Craftheads has closed down it's Shibuya business some time in 2018 and moved to a another side of town with a new format and new name---i have yet to visit the new bar at Sangenjaya but i surely miss walking up and down slopes at Shibuya heading towards Craftheads waiting to discover what's on their bottle or tap list---it's an end to a historic part of Tokyo/Asia craft scene for sure.
2）涉谷Craft Heads的HOTD酒杯
Hair of The Dog是美国一家以酿造旧式黑啤为人知的小酿坊，在亚洲，特别是好多年前基本只能在东京不定时找到小量瓶子供酒吧内用，这杯就是在涉谷一家“元老级“酒吧喝到的，对想找一些当时来说较难寻美国酿坊酿品亚洲啤迷来说，这家酒吧是必去探寻的。
很可惜的是，疫情来袭之前，这家酒吧因为个别因素，把已经成为不少啤迷心目中涉谷重点酒吧的业务结束掉，搬去东京另一个地区以另一个店名另一个形式营业，从此结束了啤迷去涉谷探寻美国酿坊酒单期待惊喜的乐趣。
3) Yorocco beer glass---@Beach Muffin
If you have yet to or never thought of visiting---Beach Muffin is actually a Vegan restaurant/ sundry shop selling food items including cakes/cookies----BUT---this cozy place is also the exclusive tasting room for Yorocco Beer---a small brewery located next town at Kamakura.
Beach Muffin is located at Zhusi---a small town some 45mins-1 hour by normal train from Tokyo---so it''s fairly easy to travel to and from---This is a place where it feels more like a friend's rustic house than a beer bar---it's cozy, mostly quiet (at least every time when i was there)---though they only have 5 rotating taps with mostly easier to drink beer styles such as saison, pale ale, belgian wit, ipa and such --as well only from 1 same brewery every time----this is one place i don't mind travelling from Tokyo for every time when i'm in town basically just to meet up with friend for a few beers, some food and mostly just chill....
This is one place where they don't have UNTAPPD FULL 5 whalez beers for tickers---the beers are mostly good and easy drinking--at times quite delicious---nothing out of the world really---but sometimes that's good enough to spend an afternoon with fellow geek friend/s.
3）逗子市Beach Muffin的Yorocco酒杯
如果你没去过或听说过的话，首先这是一家素食餐馆兼糕饼店，但同时也是位于邻市镰倉的日本在地小型酿坊Yorocco全日本唯一品饮室兼瓶子店。这里并没有什么惊天动地的飞天好酒，有的是舒适恬静的环境，以及一直保持高水准易喝性高的新鲜佳酿，虽然都只有同一家酿坊作品，每天也只有五个啤酒泵上的5款供选择，但去过的话会知道为什么这里是值得每次去东京都要找时间搭一小时火车再加走一小段路只为在这里见朋友吃吃喝喝坐坐消磨时光的好去处。
4) Cantillon "balloon glass"---@a bottle shop outskirt of Osaka
We all know that glasses mostly are displayed at a bottle shop---you walk in--you pick a glass/glasses you like and that's done deal.
Well--not so easy with this one---it was at a old shop house outskirt of Osaka--reason i went there was because words has it that this shop do have some hidden gems to be found( if the shop owner is in the mood tot sell you some)---so i went--look around at their Lambic section---found some but not really finding any sort of hidden gems( there's a reason why the gems might be all hidden)---and so i asked the elderly shop owner if they have this glass----he looked me in the eye---hesitated for a few sexs---and then said " i'll go upstairs to check'( upstairs is of course off-limits to outsiders)
There's a reason why even a glass was "hidden" upstairs--story goes that some years ago Japan was the place to walk in a bottle shop and one can easily find "harder to find" variants of Lambics for examples those Lou Pepe or Fou Foune from Cantillon, as well the "rarer' others from 3 Fonteinen and such---the "invasion" of mainly American beer geeks/ profiteers who basically clean whatever "rarer"Lambics seen in bottle shop slowly changed the scene---and from then on---the seemingly more sought after variants started to vanished from display shelves---and became sort of like "only those who the shop owners willing to sell to" would get the chance to buy.
4）关西瓶子店的Cantillon汽球杯
几年前去大阪郊区外一家瓶子店买的杯子，重点是杯子并没有像一般商品展示那样摆在店内任人随意选购，而是需要开口询问老店主是不是有这个杯子卖之后，老人家才不是很想卖的说我去找找看，然后摸上陡陡的木楼梯到楼上取货。
老人家为什么会那样其实是有前因后果的，日本多年来近乎是亚洲唯一比较有机会买到不同款比利时大师级酿坊Cantillon瓶子的地方，据说比较多年前，因为一些驻日美军或住日美国人/旅客或受人所托或为了图利或个人收藏大肆收购日本瓶子店所有能找到的比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒(Lambic),
这其中Cantillon当然是首选。因为那样，据说不懂从哪一天开始，日本瓶子店开始把比较“罕见难寻”款的Lambic瓶子都收起来只卖给“有缘人”。
5) Glasses ----@Upstairs Mikeller Bangkok
The glasses looks kinda normal/messy here since it's basically a bunch of beer glasses filled with different beers while dining----it was a pic taken during my last visit to Upstairs --the food beer pairing casual fine dining restaurant located upper floor of Mikkeller Bangkok back in early 2018.
It's been a while since i last visited BKK---but even if i do now---the Michelin star restaurant is no longer operating at Mikkeller Bangkok---as Chef Dan and his team has decided to move to another location(nothing to do with Covid situation) earlier this year and run the same food concept but with a completely new name with wine/cocktails focus rather than beer.
So this is one pic which sort of marked the end of a fine-dine with craft beer in Bangkok.
5）曼谷米吧楼上餐厅的杯子群
餐桌上一堆看起来像是杂乱无章的杯子其实是个人最後一次在曼谷米吧“楼上餐厅”（Upstairs at Mikkeller Bangkok)跟几位香港和吉隆坡啤迷朋友共聚一餐。
说最後一餐是因为大概两年前那次之後就暂时还没有去过曼谷，就算现在再去也没有这家米其林星级米吧楼上餐厅了，因为主厨在疫情来袭之前已决定自立门户找了另一个地点开了不再推崇啤酒配餐也取了新名称但食物方向基本不变的新餐厅。
6) Taster Glass----@MBCT18
It was the very first time Asia has got the excitement of seeing a small version of MBCC moved from Copenhagen to Tokyo----of course there's no comparison in terms of number of breweries attending or selections or the awesomeness of that whole week in Copenhagen for those who have attended the original version---but this being the first edition in Asia---expectations and excitement was abound among geeks living in Asia prior to event---what with this name popping up as "attending"
Indeed Bokke( or Bokkereyder when they first burst onto the scene) is the super star attraction at any event(be it US or Europe)---no exception here in Tokyo---people were lining up---and bottles were pouring fast during those 2 days sessions.....
MBCT has since had it's 2nd edition in 2019--this year as we all know things been challenging---so it's moved to next year---would Bokke make another appearance here in Asia again? we shall see( though they did not joined for 2019 MBCT )---for now---this pic certainly looks unprecedented.
6）東京啤酒庆典的嚐味小杯
无论是在craft文化比较盛行的欧洲或美国啤酒庆典，这家比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒混酒作坊的众多“开瓶画面”任何时候都是啤迷关注重点。
不过这画面不是欧美，而是2018年前第一届东京啤酒庆典（MBCT）当Bokke破天荒第一次出现在亚洲啤酒节庆中，这个级别的作坊酿品出现在亚洲是绝对难得的事，不过至今也就那么一次，去年第二届这家缺席，然后原定今年十月的庆典因为疫情影响被逼取消。
东京啤酒庆典暂定明年仍会举办，所以还会有新的嚐味小杯，但在亚洲看到置身于一堆已开瓶BOKKE瓶子的小杯画面肯定是空前的，
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