WEEK 221---Tokyo 2023--Zhusi & Kamakura

 

This is the final part of last year end trip to Tokyo--and it's about two places approximately an hour's train ride from Tokyo--though next to each other--Zhusi is basically a very local place while Kamakura is more of a famous tourists attraction--The trip here is basically for two craft beer places--one a small vegan restaurant i been coming to almost each trip when im in town while another is a newly opened taproom.

镰倉和逗子市距离東京大约一小时电车路程，两地之间也只是一个站的距离，其中镰倉是很多游客会去的点，这里的神社，大佛，江之岛电车路线，漫画迷会来拍照的海边铁道，夏天海滩冲浪等等都是吸引各地游客前来的景点，相较之下逗子市就是在地人的地方，一般来说外国旅客会想去的是镰倉不是这里。

Beach Muffin

Those who have came across my previous year's post about this place would know what this place is about--it's the "only taproom" for Kamakura based Japanese small brewery Yorrocco though this is essentially a vegan food place/restaurant but also the only exclusive taprrom for Yorocco in whole of Japan for many years.

It's been 4 years since i last visited this place but nothing much has changed really, the place look the same both outside and inside, only changes noticeable to me is that this is no longer exclusively Yorocco taproom as the brewery has opened up a taproom of their own at Kamakura since last year, another change here at Beach Muffin is that the place has got fridge now with cans/bottles selections from both Japanaese as well imported ones to either drink in or take out, something only happened not too long ago as the place has gottten the permit to do cans/bottles sale.

这是位于逗子市的一家卖食物蛋糕各类食材杂货的小小素食餐厅，为什么会来是因为从多年前开始这里就是镰倉在地酿坊Yorocco在全日本唯一的品饮室，自几年前来过一次之后，基本每次有到東京都会抽时间来这里坐坐见一下店主聊聊天然后再以非常适合这里舒适慵懒的居家方式慢慢的喝啤酒泵上的6个不同选酒。

四年没去，再重回旧地一切还是熟悉的感觉，跟店主夫妇见面问候聊聊天是愉快的，店里那种像是回到熟悉朋友家里的感觉还是如故，就像有一种莫名引力那样让人坐下来後就不想动，套句话说就是简直想要直接躺平。

If anything--although no longer exclusive taproom of Yorocco but the good thing is that if you want more choices other than just 1 single brewery then you can now.

I have been coming to Beach Muffin since some years ago almost everytime when im in town and without fail everytime when i come here, it's always staying here longer than i initially thought i would, this place is just so comfortable and relaxing that i don't mind just lazy around and stay longer, like i said before, this place don't feel like a bar, it's more like coming to an old friend's house and just chill and sip some beer....

啤酒选择方面，啤酒泵依然不变的还是6个，不过选酒有了一些变化，由于Yorocco不久前终于在镰倉开了自家品饮室，所以这里也不再只有Yorocco一家的酒而是多了些其他日本酿坊作品选择，另外就是餐厅取得了啤酒外带售卖准证所以多了一些冰柜瓶子罐子选择，更多不同酿坊作品选择对啤迷来说是个不错的转变，当然最重要的是餐厅/酒吧的氛围完全没有改变，几年没来这里还是那么的让人感觉自在舒适，一坐下来就很放松。

一如之前几次来访那样，原本是打算坐一会和店主聊聊天喝喝吃点东西後就离开前往下一站的镰倉但还是比预想时间多停留了一个半小时才动身，实际上这里并不是有着什么评酒APP或网站超高评分啤酒的地方，基本都是日本酿坊作品特别是Yorocco不同类型啤酒但就是莫名的有一种亲切感让人想坐久一些。

Yorocco Taproom Sasameza

Until this place came along--Yorocco have no own taproom( if those early days of opening on certain days at their small brewey not counted)--it has always been at Beach Muffin if you wanted to sip their beers and only theirs--over the years it's been easier to get Yorocco beers here and there at bars in and around Tokyo--but no exclusive taproom so to speaks.

This is a small bar opened at 1 of the streets of Kamakura--it's visible from the main road--housed in a uniquely designed wooden building which also have other shops not related to beer---this looks like a newly build building on either previously vacant land or rebuild from demolished old building as the street is full of older generation building compare to this rather modern one.

Walked from Kamakura station to the bar, took a bit of searching but it was not hard to find, was there slightly earlier than opening time so just waited at the wooden bench outisde. Once inside, it's a small bar with 8 taps, bar area has a small kitchen for light food(was pleasantly surprised by the handmade on the spot hammering of Schnitzel, freshly made hot and nice, in fact reordered another one), beer selection as 1 would expect it's basically Yorocco beers of various styles. Yes, these are not some highly hyped or big Untappd score beers, just some nice easy sipping locally brewed beer, but it's reason enough for me to want to travel from Tokyo, Zhusi and then here just to check out this new taproom by Yorocco, personally speaking i would say it's worth the trip. 

这是Yorocco酿坊几个月前开在镰倉一个“新区”的专属品饮室，说是新区其实也不对因为只是两栋木质建筑而且整条街都是旧的，品饮室所在位置比较像是旧房拆掉或空地新建设计感十足但用色低调木建筑，在整条大街两边都是传统旧式店屋中明显的与众不同。

从逗子市过来出了镰倉电车站就随意走走，去到品饮室时店员还在准备中，还好外头有木凳子可以坐着歇歇脚等开门营业。店面不大，进门就基本一眼看完，右手边是吧台啤酒泵和准备酒吧輕食的小厨房，座位不多但不是空间狭小拥挤那种，吧台上有8个啤酒泵都是自家不同类型啤酒选择，比较熟悉Yorocco作品风格的会知道酿坊以易喝型啤酒居多，从农场风格啤酒(Saison) 到浅啤/拉格（Pilsner/Lager）再到淡啤/印度淡啤（Pale Ale/IPA）都是比较常见的类型风格，或许听起来酒单不是那么火花四射但喝酒也不只是一定要追着大酒/高评分而去，轻轻松松喝些有一定水准新鲜在地酿坊作品也是很不错的。

Side Note

To travel about 2 hours to & fro via Tokyo just for 1 single brewery, what's more it's a brewery where their beers can be found in some bars in Tokyo itself does sound a little "wasteful" especially if you are travelling from abroad and don't have long holidays to spend time with, i do agree on that but personally it's totally worth the time and travelling first and foremost because of Beach Muffin, sitting there sipping beer and chatting with the owner Larry is a pleasure, not to mention how much i like the coziness of this place. 

As for the taproom at sasazame, it's worth a trip too if you are already planning to visit Kamakura for it's tourists attractions.

Personally i do agree that what's on tap or what's available in fridge in a bar can be the only deciding factor why one should visit a certain bar, but at times, people at the bar or the vibe/mood at a bar can also be a very important deciding factor on it's own.

侧记

或许有人会觉得其实東京有些酒吧也能找到Yorocco作品喝，没必要大老远跑到逗子市或镰倉去就只是为了喝单单一家在地酿坊啤酒，这观点很在理，其实要不要跑来逗子市或镰倉都只是个人感觉，从東京花两个小时来回只为了一家酿坊听起来并不符合海外啤迷的时间效益，不过有时候酒单也不是决定去哪一家酒吧喝的唯一考量，人和氛围也可以是想去某家酒吧的主要诱因。