Monday, June 17, 2024

WEEK 223--BARS which have dissappeared

News about the sudden closure of  Himmeriget in Copenhagen came about a day before the early June newspaper column publishing date--it was indeed a surprise & somewhat sad news to me & a few friends who have been there during MBCC week some years ago.
This is a bar which hosted a few of us back in 2016 & 2018 MBCC week, had quite some significant bottles here--including a Batch 2 3Foenteinen Zen Y Frontera, also some different years Cantillon Blabaer & more....

上期说起在哥本哈根啤酒庆典的三次啤酒天堂经历,其中一张照片是每次到必定会去不只一次的重点酒吧Himmeriget,不料就在专栏见报前一天收到啤迷朋友发来消息说这家酒吧I已无预警宣布结业,突如其来消息让人意外/惋惜,因为这是一家无论啤酒泵上选酒或只能店内开喝瓶子清单都会让啤迷感觉开心兴奋的精品店

*后记:据曾在哥本哈根当过两家专注天然发酵酸啤专卖吧店长的比利时啤迷朋友说,新老板接手後会转变为易喝型捷克风格酒吧
哥本哈根这家店的无预警关闭让人想起这些年来个人craft beer历程中具有一定意义和作用但在新冠疫情来袭前因为各家不同原因已不复存在(或永久关闭或已搬迁新地点)的几家重点酒吧。
The closure or rather the change of ownership/format of this geeky bar somehow triggered memories of some bars which were of certain level of significant meaning during my craft journey but have either vanished or no longer operating at original location/s.

Singapore--The Great Beer Experiment
This is a bar which marked the only time all 5 of us from the KLtastinggroup went "overseas" as a group--yes we did also went to some other places in Singapore during the trip but this place was the one we spend basically the whole day--located back then at a community mall in PasarBella, this bottle shop/bar was conveniently located in an area surrounded by food/snacks/cheese--perfect for in between beer break/snacks/food...
新加坡
The Great Beer Experiment 
开在较外围地区综合美食和生活采购于一体的旧式购物中心内,是新加坡早期的瓶子店酒吧,2015年我们五位本地瓶子分享会成员第一次(至今也就那么一次)全员出动到国外时这家是当时重点关注。店内以欧洲瓶子特别是北欧和比利时酿坊为主,也有为数不多的啤酒泵选择,当时来说有着好些吉隆坡找不到的好酒,酒吧就开在有着各种食物选择的区域,可以边吃边品尝好酒,五个人在这里基本呆了一整天,在当时来说是一次让人心情愉悦的品酒聚会经历。
*后记:这家店多年前已搬迁至其他地方,至今仍在营业中。

This place primarily focus on European breweries--back then there were selections not easily available in KL even though it was mainly Belgian, Dutch & Scandinavian selections.
Note:this bottle shop/bar is still operating but no longer at the original location.

Kuala Lumpur--Taps 1MK
Those who knows me well would know that except for the beginning 2-3years--I hardly come out to local bars for beer--but this particular local craft bar which no longer in existence is of quite significant meaning to the 5 of us from KLtastinggroup simply because back then this is THE meeting point for all of our sharing sessions--it was the most active period of the group where sharing sessions were rather frequently held than the total of last 4-5 years.

吉隆坡

Taps 1MK
开在满家乐(Mount Kiara)一家购物中心,当时来说是吉隆坡Taps酒吧第一家分店,除了最开始喝craft beer大概两三年左右,一直以来个人绝少出外在本地酒吧找酒喝,会提起这家是因为这里算是我们五位本地瓶子分享会成员最活跃时期的定点聚会场地,和酒吧老板协议好只在酒吧不忙碌的下午时段进行私人瓶子分享会,在这除了跟成员们聚会,也有新加坡啤迷朋友们,在哥本哈根认识的英国啤迷朋友飞来吉隆坡,在这里有过瓶子分享会。在这里我们有过不少次的首嚐经历,比如第一次分享美国高手酿坊黑啤,农场风格啤酒,蜜酒,比利时天然发酵酸啤等等好酒。分享会成员中也有人在这里办私人小型结婚庆祝活动,再回望仍觉得这是分享会最活跃时期的重点场所。
*后记:酒吧关闭後搬迁至Desa Park City新址後也已关闭,至今位于Changkat Bukit Bintang本店仍在营业。
In fact this place has seen us sharing with a few geek friends from Singapore, as well another friend from the UK who flew in with bottles for share.
Back then we had an understanding with the owner that sharing sessions only to be held on non-peak daytime hours--this is essentially the only branch out bar at that time for Taps and it's location means it's a halfway point for all 5 of us, had some of the group's first big stouts/lambic/mead/saison and so on here.
note:-this bar moved to Desa Park City few years ago but also closed down--the original Taps at Changkat is still operating though.


Tokyo--Craftheads Shibuya
Those who been around craft beer circle for quite some time now would know this place--perhaps to some this is an opinion deviding bar--some would think this is an expensive bar(especially if you are an American or been staying in the States) since the place is famous for carrying some big USA beweries back then--names such as Alesmith, Hair of The Dog & Three Floyds( with DarkLord bottles available)--while some geeks do viewed this bar as significant place to be especially if you are looking for those 3 breweries beers in particular.
We all know this bar is no longer in existence since end of 2018--for geeks who went to Tokyo during MBCT18 and happened to be at Craftheads when quite a few US brewers were at the bar--it was in a small way nice ending scene for a bar scheduled to shut down not too far after that.
東京
Craftheads Shibuya
提起这家开在涉谷神南小区的酒吧,亚洲很多较资深啤迷都会知道,某种程度来说,这是一家有可能口碑两极化的酒吧,因为重点酒单是当时几家在亚洲难寻美国出名酿坊如Alesmith, Hair of The DogThree Floyds等作品,一些人(特别是美国人或在美国待过)会说这家价格贵所以不推荐,另一边就有觉得喝多几杯便宜但水平一般啤酒不如给多点钱喝上一些高水平,自己很想喝作品的啤迷们。
个人craft beer历程来说,到访東京开始的两三年这家酒吧是绝对重点关注,就算较后期有其他新酒吧新酿坊分散了注意力但一直到2018年宣布永久关闭前人在東京时还是会去看看酒单选择性喝一下。
适逢2018東京啤酒庆典,在年底永久关闭前酒吧迎来了海外酿酒师和啤迷们相聚一堂的纪念性画面,是当时在场大家的美好记忆。
*后记:酒吧关闭後在三轩茶屋以混合型居酒屋形式重新营业但已在今年宣布结业。