Spirits and the mean streets of Nagoya....

Saturday night in Nagoya. It's not all karaoke and sushi people. This is a big city. It's rough out here. You never know what you might run into when chillin' on the mean streets of Nagoya. Killers, drug dealers...girls dressed like French maids... Saturday night we were keepin' an eye on the streets and grabbin' a few beers outside of Spirits in Sakae...
Ok I am full of it. Actually, I was waiting on my girlfriend who was shopping for some expensive clothes in Sakae, when we decided that it would be easier to wait outside of Spirits with a few good brews. Spirits is just like Nick described it in the article he wrote about his favorite places to "street drink" in Nagoya.
"Street Drinking" is the thing. Why pay a cover charge and more for mediocre beer, when you can drink good beer on the streets with some friends? Sometimes you get the urge to go to a nice bar and have a good bar experience...but on the everyday...street drinking is in. Of course this all is thanks to the fact that in Japan you can have a open container on the streets. If we tried street drinking in Kentucky, the cops would be on us like flies on cow patties. In Kentucky we modify "street drinking" just a little bit and change the location...and ta-da!: "Field party!"
Spirits has a great selection of (not just a clever name) spirits, and good brews. I started off with a new Japanese micro brew from Nigata-ken, Edinburgh Ale. Sounds good enough right?? Wrong. Tasted like flat sassafras tea gone bad. I know it's a sin to waste beer, so I gave it to Nate and went and bought another one. The second time around...I bought a Sam Adams Boston Lager. I know it, I know it...It's not that exotic, but I was feeling a bit nervous due to the bad experience I had just had. It was good, but not as good as it is when it comes off tap at your local pub. My hometown local pub is of course Galvin's, which I will write more about at a later date.
Sam Adams does have a new glass that they designed, which is supposed to enhance the drinking experience of their brews. Nate (and Colt) will tell you that all Sam Adam's taste the same...and I will admit that all of the brews do have a similar quality. But they are usually pretty good. And I like them. I don't know if this glass makes them taste better...but hey, at least it looks trendy...
When in Sakae, swing by Spirits. It's just up the street from the Gucci shop and a clothing shop named Zara that my girlfriend likes. If you can't find it, just stop in Zara and ask for direction from the girl buying everything. She will know.