Where do I start?

I drank so much good beer in Tokyo. It is ridiculous the quality and amount of beer I consumed in such a short period of time. Thinking now, I wish I could isolate all the beer I drank, lower my intake, and stretch that beer out over the next two weeks. But, you gotta get it while the gettin's good, right? This is a sticky note line graph of the amount of good beer I consumed the past 4 days. Notice how it peaks on Feb 15. That was the day of the Real Ale Festival.

Besides the good beer, I met many friends of good beer that will, from now on, be collectively called The Japan Beer All-Stars. Individually, they will be called their own names and/or nicknames when I can't remember their names. For example, I don't remember the name of one Japanese homebrewer I met, but I do remember him in my face shouting "Smoked Weizen!" about 30 times. He was using a loud voice and repetition to emphasize the beer he would enter into the WanCup 2009, a double secret probation brewing competition. His name is Smoked Weizen.

Where to start when so many amazing things happened? The beginning. Miyuki and I arrived in Tokyo and met our friends Tomoko and Kawano-san. Tomoko is a proffesional translator that loves the good beer and Kawano-san is a 12 year homebrewing veteran. Kawano-san took us to his 3-times-a-week watering hole, Bulldog. Bulldog is this great bar in the Ginza area. They have Ji-Biru and West Coast Ale on tap. Miyuki ordered a Baird Mikan Ale and then excused herself to the bathroom as an excuse to run across the street to Tokyu Hands to buy Friendship Valentine Beer for our friends. I kept her beer company while not neglecting my own Bear Republic Racer 5, a delicious IPA from California.

Miyuki ran to Tokyu Hands because earlier we had seen a 10% Imperial Chocolate Stout made by Rogue in Oregon and imported and sold by Ezo Beer in Japan. We paid 788 yen for each of these but it was worth it. They had it on tap at the Real Ale Festival. Damn, it is good.

Anyway, Miyuki comes back and gifts are exchanged. There are beers flying everywhere and Charlie Papazian books, and Flying Dog's Canis Major series, and then we get down to business. Bulldog has great food as well as beer! There we are - eating, drinking, talking beer, and having a great time. If you are reading this blog, you know the song, if not the whole album or catalog. This went on for a good chunk of time. Between everything that was consumed, the real rockstar of the night was a West Coast Beer. Speakeasy's Prohibition Amber Ale is amazing, balancing a rich malty base with a full hop profile that would be welcome in many an IPA.

More to come about beer in Tokyo. Thank you Tomoko and Kuwano-san for the great time at Bulldog!



P.S. Somewhere at a food market in Tokyo I took this picture of the new Ginga Kogen Pale Ale can design. Ginga Kogen, you can shape a turd like a brownie and it will look better, but it will still taste like shit. Stick to weizen and white ale and drop this crap.