WEEK 242--Tokyo 2025--went some places drank some beer(Part1/2)

Went to Tokyo last month for the "yearly-visit"-basically just meeting up some geek friends living there--as well visiting some new/existing craft places(speciality coffee as well but will just keep to beer here)--due to limited space with the newspaper column--it was basically about 4 places located at Toronomon Hills & Takanawa Gateway which is no the whole picture as i did went to more than these 4 places.

11月初去了趟东京见住当地啤迷朋友，也去全新或熟悉的酒吧/瓶子店探访，数年前开始的在地私人瓶子分享会这次也没少，和新旧啤迷朋友们分别在不同地点有两次不同聚会。

先聊聊去东京什么地方喝了点什么。

Toronomon Hills

This is what we Malaysian call "Atas place"( high end place) with high-end office building and more--those who have been following Uchu brewing would know they opened up a taproom here since late last year--and then there are 2 more which also located nearby--WCB taproom & BTaps bar--both with more taps selections and obviously different dicrection in terms of choices.

虎之门（Toronomon Hills)

有朋友笑说，在东京市中心冠上Hills名号的建筑物/地区就是高尚代名词(六本木有Roppongi Hills，麻布台有Azabudai Hills）, 到东京前知道这区新开了3家酒吧，包括源自山梨县当今日本新贵酿坊最炙手可热的Uchu(宇宙）酿坊小型品饮室，静冈县West Coast Brewing酒吧及去年在镰仓电车站附近偶然发现去过的BTaps餐酒吧。

3家新开酒吧中，当天酒单选择/个人口味来说，只有6个啤酒泵加上冰柜自家罐子选择的Uchu酿坊品饮室最对味（也因此去了两次），虽然类果汁印度淡啤（Hazy IPA）个人没有很爱，但在这次基本没能在去过大多数酒吧/瓶子店找到果泥啤酒（Pastry/Smoothie Sour)，包括预期中会有作品的熊本天草酿坊Amakusa Sonar Beer完全不见踪迹，加上其他类型酒单也不是很吸引情况下，Uchu几款不同高质素果泥作品成了二访动力。

Went to all 3 places on the same day since it's all within walking distance--of the 3 went to Uchu first since it's closer to Metro station exit--then to BTaps and lastly WCB taproom--in view of the tap list as well cans selection( or the lack of it at BTaps)--Uchu was the one with pastry sour'/smoothie sour selections (though many would go mostly for their hazy ipas) and that was good ennough reason for a revisit few days later.

同一天去了附近走路可到的West Coast Brewing酒吧和BTaps餐饮酒吧，是风格迥异的两家，WCB开在大马路人行道旁高级办公大楼一侧，走新颖风格路线，酒吧位置和设计让能见度很高，有20个啤酒泵及冰柜自家罐子作品。BTaps则是餐饮食堂路线，开在另一栋办公楼地下一层餐饮区，当天有13个啤酒泵选择（没有罐子或瓶子选项）， 不过绝大多数全是IPA，一定程度上显示了趋向教大众化的餐酒吧定位。个人来说，无论是WCB或BTaps喝到的都是中规中矩作品，没惊喜也没惊吓。

Of the 3--Uchu is the smallest in terms of size and standing space only--while WCB taproom is a more cozy place with bar & table seatings & food available--same goes for BTaps though the day of visit there's basically almost only IPA available on the tap list which probably indicated the customer base they have or targeting at. As the name suggested WCB taproom is basically all about their own brew with tap selection as well as cans in fridge available.

In view of tap list available at both WCB & BTaps--it was more of a quick visit rather than longer stay at both places--though both have sitting capacity as well as food to suggest a longer than 2 beers and out visit.

Takanawa Gateway

A rather new place that's only 1 JRstation away from Shinagawa--found out by chance that this new office/shopping building build beside the new station actually has a craft beer place and it's being run by people from Sanity bar(been to their Sangenjaya shop previous years as well this time around)--it's a sort of mini food court concept--bar is located 1 side while the opposite site has more seats and you can order Afuri Ramen or Indian Curry by the click of your handphone via QR code available on every table.

高轮Gateway (Takanawa Gateway)

了解JR山手线运转路线的会知道这是距离品川一站之遥，位于品川站南侧的一个全新站，这里有依站而建的全新办公楼/购物中心建筑群，其中北楼第五层就有结合拉面/印度咖喱和craft beer的一体化餐厅，酒吧是由近年冒起的三轩茶屋酒吧/瓶子店sanity主理，16个啤酒泵加上设在吧台后端大冰柜的瓶子/罐子选择，座位空间舒适加上设有餐酒手机点单服务，是就算坐着不动也能享用啤酒餐点的地方。

Sanity不定时会和日本在地醸坊搞联名合作，这次在新地点开新酒吧也不例外的有几款不同醸坊联名作品出现，当天酒单和冰柜中看到选酒都有不错作品，相对于三轩茶屋酒吧的小巧和“罚站”，这里的共享空间座位更舒适。

Bar has more tap selections than it's Sangenjaya shop--with big fridge hidden behind bar area--it's definitely more relaxing than the Sangenjaya shop(basically standing room only) because there are seats available to rest your legs--and with various food options available nearby it's a welcome addition to Tokyo's ever expanding craft beer scene.

Lastly--besides these 4--also visited some familiar ones--namely Beershoku at Takadanobaba--Pigalle Tokyo & Sanity both at Sangenjaya--both Mikkeller bar & Kiosk at Shibuya--Devil's Craft & Fetish Bar both at Hamamatsucho--as well Sour Swamp at Chitose-Funabashi.

上述4家东京全新酒吧之外，也去了分布在不同地区自己熟悉的酒吧/瓶子店，包括涉谷道玄坂的Mikkeller Bar和另一头靠近宫下公园的Mikkeller Kiosk，三轩茶屋的Sanity和老字号小酒吧Pigalle Tokyo，滨松町的Devil’s Craft和设计色调有点怪奇的Fetish Club酿吧，还有就是千岁船桥的酸啤专卖吧Sour Swamp和部落客啤迷朋友的一年一聚，下期再聊。