Who is College Boy Chris?

After mentioning College Boy Chris in my last two posts, I realized that many of you may not know who he is. His introduction to this blog came way back in a Halloween post, which can be read here. College Boy Chris is discussed in the last two paragraphs. If you scroll down two posts, you can see a great picture of him about to take a beer in the face. Here are some more pictures of Chris that I 'borrowed' from his facebook page.

Here is College Boy Chris earning that nickname by being a college boy. That is him peeking out from behind the blond.

Here is College Boy Chris begging applause for two of Japan's ambassadors to the North Pole.

Here is College Boy Chris enjoying cos-play.

Here is College Boy Chris as a gun-totin' reindeer, smiling as a Yoko Ono impersonator wipes something off her lips.

College Boy Chris may be the natural enemy of the Good Beer Country Boys, but he is definitely always ready to party. What do you think about College Boy Chris?

Beer Circus in Nagoya

The friday night before the saturday hanami when the amazing picture from the previous post was taken, Miyuki and I met up with some friends at Kinshachi's Beer Circus in Nagoya. We called the place from the train to make sure they were open. ALot of times, the building is rented out for a party and average Joe off the street can't get a seat. This is a downside to Beer Circus. Well, there was a party going on but the manager, who Miyuki was talking to, had talked to Yoshino-san, the beer sales manager, earlier that day. Yoshino-san had told them that we might be coming and to get us a reserved table up on the second floor. I am so glad I hung out with him at the Grande Biere Festival!

At first it was just Nick, Miyuki, and I so we did what any group of beer lovers would do, passed over the food menu to order a pitcher of Kinshachi's Imperial Chocolate Stout. This stuff is a seasonal so it is nearing the end. You gotta get it while you can! Half an hour later, our friend Ryan and our enemy College Boy Chris (the dude getting the beer dumped on him in the hanami pic) show up so we order another pitcher of the Imp Choc Stout. Then Ryan's friend Oleg from Turkmenistan (did not know that was a real country) came and we drank Kinshachi's IPA and more Imperial Chocolate Stout.

When Oleg told me that he was from Turkmenistan I had deja vu of the time my boss at a summer camp told me he lived in Estonia. I was like, "Estonia? That's from Encino Man." Anyway, Estonia and Turkmenistan are real countries.

A little bit later someone orders a pitcher of the Alt. Kinshachi's Alt is good, but after drinking the 8% stout and 7% IPA, the 5% Alt tastes like a whole lotta nothing in your mouth. We then finished off the evening with the IPA, which doesn't blow your mind, but is good and begs to be drank in excess. I have talked about the Imperial Chocolate Stout before, so rather than an indepth, why this is badass rant, I'll just say that it is my favorite imperial chocolate stout in Japan.



About this time, who come in the door? Why, it's Yoshino-san and Yamaguchi-san, the brewer! They stopped by to see how we were doing and to confirm a private tour of Kinshachi's brewery, Land Beer, in Inuyama for April 3rd. We had earlier asked if we could tour the brewery, for the sake of the blog, and Yoshino-san had checked with the head honcho. "For the sake of the blog" is the best excuse in the world. I just want to tour the place and I write about it to justify my desires.

So in summary, Beer Circus has great beer that goes for 1950 yen a pitcher, pretty good food at decent prices (sorry I didn't talk about that), really nice people that make and sell the product, and a good location that is a two minute walk from Fushimi Station in Nags.

The last picture is me eating Beer Circus' Miso Fondue. What? It uses the same miso that they put in their Miso Lager (a pretty good beer) and you get a bunch of little fried things to dip in it. I am fond of fondue and miso goes good with beer.

Greatest Hanami Picture!

Here is a picture from Nagoya Hanami on Saturday. That is College Boy Chris taking a big ole beer bong and Nick tilting it just so he gets it in the face! D Bizzlemick is looking on, but he hasn't yet registered what is about to happen. Thank you camera with fast shutter speed, your pictures tell stories. In honor of this, here is a copy paste of Nate's Beer Poetry #1.

To a sakura

It is hanami so we lay
Our tarps around your hallowed trunk.
Blossom friends and beer rise,
In this we are sunk.
So fleeting are your flowers
Beneath which we get crunk.
If your beauty last throughout the year,
We shall always be drunk

March 28, 2009

Interview with Phred of Ezo-Beer

Friday night of Grande Biere I ran into Phred Kaufmann, importer of Rogue and seller of Ezo Beer in Japan. I just had long enough to spit out my name and blog and get his card for a later interview. No time, no time between volunteering and drinking. If the interview is any hint, he is a man of not so many words. Of course I don't know him personally, but he does bring some fine beer into Japan. I stole the superhero-esque moving image off his websiste but when I put it into the blog it copied itself the many times you see above. I know not much about computers so I am leaving it like that. It's kinda funny. You can check out Phred and his wares at www.ezo-beer.com.


1. Now you live in Japan. Where do live, where are you from originally, and how did you get here?

Sapporo, L.A. Plane



2. How did you start in the importing business and how long have you been doing it?

Wanted better beer for my bar (30 next year) 15 years



3. What products (specifically beer) does your company import?

Rogue, Nogne, Silenruix, Mikkeler, Haand Bryggeriet, Heather Ale, Schelde Brouwerij



4. If I wanted your imported beer in my local liquor store, what would I have to do?

Harass the owner until he relents.



5. In the whole wide world of beer, what are your five favorite beers, in no particular order?

five is way too low a number



6. What is your favorite Japanese food?

Whatever is in season 5 A.M. in a Susukino Izakaya


7. From seeing your caricature on your namecard and in real life, you have a trademark beard. Do you have any advice for people looking to grow a beard? Any tips on beard maintenance?

If I was into maintenance I wouldn't have a beard.



8. What do you think about the state of craft beer in Japan now and its future?

it's getting better the crap on tap is disappearing.


Thank you Phred for the entertaining, and to the point, interview.

Nate's Beer Poetry #1

To a sakura

It is hanami so we lay
Our tarps around your hallowed trunk.
Blossom friends and beer rise,
In this we are sunk.
So fleeting are your flowers
Beneath which we get crunk.
If your beauty last throughout the year
We shall always be drunk.

March 28, 2009

Bobcat in a bar

"Oh look, a kitty wandered into the bar...here kitty, kitty, kitty, let me take your picture...oh no, wait! Stop! Aahhhh! Ouhhh! My face! My Face!!!!!!"

If you are drinking in Arizona and a wild pussycat comes in the bar, don't think it's your lucky night and get closer.

Hansharo Brewery and how the future should play out

DH is leaving so I am gonna push forward and write more about Hansharo. I need to tie up some loose ends to make way for hanami drinking news.

Hansharo Brewery is named for the giant furnaces that are adjacent to it. These furnaces were secretly built in the 1850's to make cannons that were then hauled to Tokyo Bay to blast the smithereens out of the Black Ships when Perry returned. Before you know anything else about the place, that is just cool. Above is a picture of Miyuki and I, looking like total crap after drinking and a night's sleep in the car, posing in front of the Hansharo furnaces. To get to the Hansharo Brewery, you go to Mishima Station and take the Izu Hakone line toward the Shuzzenji area. Get off at the Izu Nagaoka stop. It will take about 20 minutes and cost 320 yen. From there, Hansharo is about 2.5 kilometers. You can hoof it and get some exercise before consuming that beer or take a taxi or a bus, if there is one. I went there by car. They have a sweet lunch deal. 2000 yen gets you a wagyu yakiniku set plus the five beer sampler. The food set includes the meat, vegetables, rice, miso soup, two dessert type dishes, and the coolest thing of all, fresh wasabi root with dried shark skin to grind it on! It doesn't get much cooler than that.

The beer sampler set includes, from left to right, a sake yeast beer, a pale ale, a porter, a weizen, and the seasonal. These beer tates fresh because Hansharo has clean mountain water. They just lack taste and the water comes through making the beers very similar. I mean, come on! How can you call that middle beer a porter? From the color and the taste, it is doing well to be called a light brown ale. The head of Hansharo told us that he wanted to make beers that everyone can enjoy. This is all fine, but it gets you nowhere. Like Bryan Baird said, "When you got your finger in the air, you're lost!" Hansharo needs to cut these similar tasting beers down one, say a pale ale, and then concentrate on what they are doing best. The sake yeast beer is interesting and with some more batches and improvements could be something sets Hansharo apart. I talked to Wantanabe-san, the brewer, about using a little sake rice and koji in the brewing proccess to make a hybrid beer, he said he has thought about it too and is working on it. That shows promise for the future!

Where Hansharo is really shining in the beer department is their involvement with Rainbow Brewing. Currently they have their Hansharo Chocolate Ale seasonal which some Tokyo drinkers know as Rainbow's Chocolate Dusk Ale. The new beer we brewed with Rainbow's Kawano-san will be the new seasonal in a month and will hopefully be just as delicious. Hansharo's problem is that these more complex beers aren't as marketable out in the beer education-less country. Hansharo and Rainbow need to make the most of their cohabitation and push their beer outward toward good beer drinkers like myself. Here is a picture of me puttin' down the great seasonal chocolate ale at Hansharo! That is my beer rant for the day. Now back to Hansharo.

Hide-san, the son of Hansharo's owner, took us on a tour of the grounds. The place is pretty spectacular. They compost all the spent grain and food waste to make a rich fertilizer that is spread on their green tea fields (pictures above and below). They have their own shitake mushroom farm and vegetable garden supplying much of what the restaurant serves. Hide-san told us that they currently have plans to start growing their own hops which is awesome.

Hansharo's beer has potential to be very good and the restaurant and location are amazing. If you find yourself with nothing to do, go to the Hansharo Brewery, pay 1500 yen for 90 minutes of all-u-can-drink, and throw your Hansharos in the air!

And I'm Out!

The day is here. This afternoon I'm flying to Ishigaki. I wanted to post more before I left, but I will have to leave all of the beer news to Nate the next few days. I'll update my twitter when I can, but for the most part I'm gonna turn off the cell, grab a brew, and hit the beach.

Went back to Ise Kadoya's Biyagura with my good buddy Nick and his girl Michelle yesterday. All you can drink for 1890 yen for TWO HOURS and some great food. Well worth the price!!! Their pale ale yesterday was amazing!

Also had the Ise Kadoya IPA in the bottle yesterday. AWESOME. One of the top 5 beers in Japan I thought. Complex, good balance, 7%....wish I had another one.

I'll be back soon friends, enjoy your brews!

What I found in a Mini-Stop parking lot

Saturday morning we arrived in the vicinity of Hansharo at 7 am, 2 hours before we needed to be there. We had spent the night in the Gotemba Kogen parking lot and woken up to a sour smelling vehicle because of DH's very American attitude toward all-u-can-drink. That morning was probably the best look-at-Fuji morning of the last 5 years, and we took advantage of this. We looked at Fuji alot. Then we looked some more as we drove toward Hansharo.

Anyways, arriving near Hansharo 2 hours early, we did what anyone would do and parked at a Mini-Stop. Before Miyuki had completely pulled into the space, my alcohol-o-meter started going crazy. I pointed out the window. "That's a full bottle of whiskey!" Indicating with my finger the bottle of brownish liquor abandoned near the dumpster. I sprang out of the car to retrieve my prize. Sure enough, it was a full bottle of Suntory Special Reserve Whisky, seal intact. This baby had not been opened. I posed for a picture then strutted inside the store to find out just how much my new booze went for these days.

Interesting thing, Mini-stop does not sell Suntory Special Reserve Whisky, so how did this bottle end up next to a dumpster with the seal unbroken? That question is one for the ages. We'll probably never know the answer and it's maybe better that way. A perfect ending to this story would be if I took that whisky and chugged it in the next two hours then commenced brewing at Hansharo blitzed out of my mind, threw up in the mash tun, pissed in the whirlpool, and defecated in the fermentor. Well, I didn't do that. In fact, I never opened the bottle and don't have any plans to. I would rather gaze upon it and ponder the road this booze must have travelled on its way to me. That, and I generally don't drink cheap ass whiskey.

Here you can see Mt. Fuji on that glorious day, sandwiched between the Mini-Stop and the mysterious Suntory bottle.

Brewing Rainbow Beer at Hansharo Brewery!

DH, Miyuki, and myself spent all of last saturday helping brew at the Hansharo Brewery. We didn't actually make Hansharo Beer, we helped brew up a new creation from Rainbow Brewing. Lacking a brewing facility all their own, the Rainbow contract brew at Hansharo on certain saturdays. As of now Rainbow Brewing only markets Dusk Ale, a ruby colored amber ale stacked with malty goodness. Our homebrewer friend, Kawano-san, is the head brewer for the Rainbow operation. Besides the contract brewed Dusk Ale, he homebrews a mean coconut porter and yuzu ale. Little known fact, the current seasonal chocolate stout at Hansharo Brewing is one of Kawano-san's recipes. No offense to Hansharo, but it was blowing there regular line-up out of the water!

We showed up at 9 am to start work by dumping bags of crushed grain into the cooker. Hansharo Beer has a 1000 liter system, but Kawano-san was only making a 700 liter batch. On hand in the brewery that day was Hansharo's brewer Watanabe-san (blue fleece), Yokohama's new brewer Gojo-san (cute green overalls), Hansharo's heir to the throne Hide-san (double peace signs), Kawano-san (Yokohama 08 shirt), the Good Beer Country Boys ('I got my thumbs up' DH) and Miyuki. It was a regular brewing party!

The mash cooked, was transferred to the mash tun, it was drained and sparged, then pumped to the giant boiling pot, where it was boiled and hopped. Remember, I have been on many a brewery tour, but this was my first working experience. I was like a kid in a big shiny stainless steel alcohol related toy store. Up to this point, it was like all grain homebrewing, until it the boiling wort was jetted into the whirlpool. This coned up all the hops in the middle so the wort could be pumped out from the side. I know in homebrewing you can stir the pot to get this same effect, but it was cool to see it work with 700 liters.

I haven't said much about the specifics of the beer we brewed. It will be ready to drink in about a month and I think Kawano-san wants to keep it a secret until then. I will say that it is not a dark beer at all and that I have a good feeling about it. I mean, I helped brew this stuff, of course it is going to be awesomeI think DH will post more about Hansharo beer as a whole. Their beer is average, except for a sake yeast beer that has a unique taste I have never experienced before. This said, the yakiniku style restaurant is amazing and serves Wagyu beef at an extremely low price. Right now a Kawano-san created stout is on draft, which I drank way too much of Saturday night, and this new beer will be there in a month. I don't remember what train stop it is, just that it is about 30 minutes by local from Mishima. Maybe DH wrote it down.

Look at the pictures of us and be jealous!

Bryan Baird in Numazu

Last Sunday, after a great weekend of breweries (and brewing!--Nate will add more on that later) we started the trek back to Toyohashi. Of course, it was raining. Miyuki punched in the coordinates of Baird's The Fishmarket Taproom in Numazu, set the car on autopilot, and we were on our way.
We arrived at The Taproom, parked across from it next to the harbor, and I got my first look at Bryan Baird's baby--his very own Taproom in Numazu.
From the outset, the Taproom has an amazing look. Real wood abounds as you make your way up the steps to the second floor of this old building facing the water. The second floor has a huge window for a wall that gives everyone inside a nice view of outside, and it lets those outside gaze longingly and lustfully at those drinking the Baird pints inside.

We entered the bar and immediately I loved the atmosphere. There were some English speakers enjoying a pint near the window, a Japanese couple talked near the center of the bar, and some good spirited English teachers occupied the back nook of the bar. This place was a huge contrast to the places we had drank jibeer the two nights before. Hansharo has a HUGE hall that seems vacant and somewhat daunting. The all you can eat at Gotemba was excellent, but noisy and crowded. The Taproom was not crowded, not empty--but had a warm atmosphere that was addictive and attractive.

Luckily these boys arrived on the tail end of Baird's stout week. Nate and I immediately went to work. I got the Great American Stout, and Nate started with the Milk Stout. All of the stouts were excellent, but my two favorites had to be the "aggressively hopped" Great American Stout (Cincinnati Reds anyone?) and the Morning Coffee Stout. Wish I had a pint of each as we speak.

I asked the lovely lady working behind the bar if Bryan would be in anytime soon, and she assured me he was on his way. I came to find out that this was Sayuri Baird, his wife and partner. She was working her tail off behind the bar making some GREAT food and pouring drinks. Hats off to her for her hospitality and courtesy, and for the AMAZING food that she makes. You must try the Lemon Herb Potatoes and her famous Potato Salad. Her chili was STELLAR and the best I have had in Japan. (Although, those who were around me about three hours after eating it may want to have a few choice words with Mrs. Baird concerning the amount of beans she uses.) I loved it.

Nate and I were chatting over some stouts when all of the sudden a guy came up beside me yelling, "The Good Beer Country Boys! Hey! I'm from Cincinnati--I'm a bit of a country boy myself!!!"

The famous Bryan Baird himself.

Overflowing with energy and personality, Bryan Baird is your man's man. He is knowledgeable without being preachy, informative without being lecturing, and one hell of a nice guy. He's quick to the point, full of great information, and eager to make a friend.I don't want to give the impression that he is the perfect man, he is from Ohio (-1), but from what I heard is a Cincinnati Bengals fan (+1 for the amount of sheer determination that takes.) From the get go we hit it off, talking of home, good beer, and his view on the Japanese jibeer industry.
In one word, Bryan is intense. He loves to talk about his passion for his product, and was quick to point out that beer is not just following a recipe and adding the yeast at the right time. "Anyone can add some more malt or throw some hops in the secondary...", Bryan told us. Bryan told us that making great beer is about "process and implementation and meticulous attention to detail." Bryan spoke early and often about how many Japanese brewers lack "energy and passion" and how this comes through in the taste of their beers. How true.
"When you got your finger in the air, you're lost!!" --Bryan Baird

This idea permeates Bryan's whole brewing mentality. He says you have to make good beer for you, and you alone. The minute you start to try and please the masses and follow people, you are doomed. Bryan mentioned that if you make a good, flavorful brew--probably only one of out ten regular folks will like it. And even that ratio is good. His mission of "making great beer in an uncompromising way" is addictive and that attitude can be implemented in just about any area of business.

One very interesting thing that Bryan mentioned was how having too much equipment and capital can be a curse at the beginning. Many people think this is exactly what happened in Japan. "Brewers" had a lot of capital and the ability to get huge brewing systems--but didn't have the basic knowledge of how to use them. Many of the "master-brewers" you will find in Japan aren't even real brewers by trade, but just some fellas who lucked into a job. Coming up like Baird Brewing did, on a very very small system, every batch had to count and every dollar had to be well spent. You can tell that this attitude has made Baird very productive and successful.

We enjoyed a few more pints and talked about beer for a while. I found out that Bryan is no beer snob, and in his own words, "I have drank a lot of beer in my day, and truth be told there aren't many who have drank more." I like this guy.

Next, Bryan introduced Nate and I to The Carpenter, the man who helps Bryan build all of his bars and his a good friend. In fact, this was The Carpenter behind Baird's The Carpenter's Mikan Ale. In a sense, that is what Bryan is all about--no bull. If he says a beer is "The Carpenter's Mikan Ale" then for sure--it's because there was a real carpenter behind it. I saw that The Carpenter had an elegant glass of some type of strong brew, and I went to the bar and asked Sayuri for a glass of "whatever The Carpenter has." After that we enjoyed our 2009 versions of Baird's Barleywine. Amazing.
So what is the future of Baird Beer? Well, Bryan said that he wants to open his next "5 to 10 taprooms" in the Tokyo area, and essentially--he is just getting started. I don't think you will see any letup in Bryan Baird until his beer is in every izakaiya and bar around Japan. He's already started to import to the US, and I wouldn't be surprised if you see some of his beer at your local bar in the years to come. Back in the US, you may be drinking his beer in one of the Izakaiyas he dreams of opening on the West Coast one day soon. I'll be there with you.
I could write more and more about all of the great things that Bryan had to say, and the awesome time that we had there. Friends, I'll let it be with these last statements:

Bryan Baird is making the best beer in Japan, and The Taproom in Numazu is the best bar in Japan. Those are some bold statements to be sure, but test me on them. You will see.
If you haven't had his beer, you must try it soon. Get yourself down to Numazu and tell them that you heard about him from The Good Beer Country Boys. While you are there enjoy some of Sayuri's great food. Don't worry about being from out of town, Sayuri told us that many of the folks on the weekends are from out of town and we met a great group of teachers in the back corner who weren't regulars--but were having a great time none the less.
Bryan and Sayuri--thanks a ton for the great time. I expect more great things in the future (you too Chris Poel!) and I am sure that I won't be disappointed.

Cheers.

Ginga Kogen Goes to America!

Wait a minute there's something funny about that bottle of Ginga Kogen. What is it? It says, "Imported: Product of Japan"?

Friends in America, you guessed it. Ginga Kogen is taking the plunge and starting to export its beers to the US of A. Not long ago this company was the ruler of all the microbreweries in Japan, until it fell from grace. After restructuring, Ginga Kogen resurfaced and is making some good brews. Their Weizen is second to none. Now they have decided to send this weizen to the craft beer loving folk in America. How will it fare?

For starters this beer has a eye catching power. It has a cool blue bottle that is unique and inviting. The label is well made and has English and Japanese, which I think is a huge plus. People who have never heard of this beer will find it more exotic when they see the Japanese on the label.

The label reads Ginga Kogen Beer, Premium Unfiltered Beer. That it is. I cracked this bad boy open and poured a glass of the cloudy goodness. The style isn't listed on the bottle, but that Ginga Kogen fruity, malty goodness speaks for itself. This Hefeweizen is one of the best in Japan, bar none. The wheat malt in this beer is easily detectable without being over the top. This is a well made, very very drinkable beer. On a warm summer afternoon, I can't think of a beer that I'd rather have.

The bottle of the bottle has a thin layer of sediment showcasing the fact that yes, this beer is unfiltered. I took a sip and tilted the bottle so I could get a closer look at the sediment. When I did so, I managed to choke myself on the sip of beer I had just taken, and then proceeded to spit beer all over my computer screen. Clearly that was my fault, and not a slam on this beer.

The back of the label tells us that Ginga Kogen Beer (is) --The Plateau of the Galaxy. The website tells me that this is the definition of Ginga Kogen. I'm still not sure what that really means. This beer is brewed and bottled by Higashi Nihon Sawauchi Sougoukaihatsu Co., LTD Iwate, Japan.

I think Ginga Kogen has a chance to do well in America. They do face some stiff competition there, but the fact that they are making a good product and have the import mystique is to their advantage. I'm curious how much this beer will cost in the US, especially since it is only a 10.1 fl. oz. bottle. My penny pinching friends will automatically notice that they are getting less than a normal bottle, but as long as the price isn't too steep, the taste of this beer will silence all grievances.

Good Luck Ginga Kogen! Bon Voyage to America! For those of you in the US reading this, ask your local liquor store how you can get this beer. I would assume that this beer is heading to the West and East Coasts first, and that smaller markets won't see hide nor hair of this brew. Still, it never hurts to ask. Ask your local shop or bar if they can get this beer, and of course--tell 'em you heard about it via The Good Beer Country Boys.

Many thanks to Kazuumi Tsutsui-san of Ginga Kogen Beer for letting us get a sneak peek at this beer before it left for America!

The real last word on Grande Biere

I just got this email from Grande Biere and thought I would share it. For all of you reading that attended or didn't attend for whatever reason, this is great summary of why Grande Biere was either successful or a failure, depending on how you look at it. Personally, I don't like beer set up in a fancy light, but I did thoroughly enjoy meeting the brewers, importers, and bar owners that make great beer their life.

Dear fellow volunteers at Grande Biere

Thank you very much for your cooperation.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The Grande Biere tasting event was opened hoping that many people could
experience the 'aroma' of craft beers. While the number of visitors were 1/3
of that of Japan Beer Festivals, the type of visitors, the beers exhibited
and the operation all lived up to our expectations and ended in a very
productive event, giving us great confidence in the 2nd year.

This is all thanks to you, volunteers, who fully understood the purpose of
this event and consolidated all your efforts. Let me take this opportunity
to thank you all.

One of the reasons why I am so confident about the success of Grande Biere
2009 is that we had completely different sets of visitors than our Beer
Festivals. The Beer Festivals, which tend to be dominated by beer fans, used
to be outside of interest to those who had never experienced craft beers or
microbrews. Grand Biere's primary objective was to enhance awareness among
these people and to grow them into the new customer base. The resulting
majority of those who had "first time experience with craft beers" at the
Midtown Night and the following two days was more than we had expected.
Besides, most of the visitors went home with impressions that they had a
fun, want to come back and would buy beers they tasted at the event. This
makes me feel confident that we succeeded in fulfilling our mission.

As one of the major factors in bringing this success, we can name deep
understanding and unlimitted support that the beer makers and importers
showed to this event. It is solely because each company contributing only
"aromatic" beers to the event that the visitors enjoyed variations of
"aromas" and the "first comers" wholeheartedly enjoyed the "attraction of
craft beers" to the fullest. What also added to the fun experience of
visitors would have been the serving by brew masters and conversations with
sales representives of exhibitors who came all the way to Tokyo.

At the same time, you carried out the complicated tasks spanning from months
of preparation, short time hall preparation, reception, assistance to
exhibitors and works in the backyard smoothly without any troubles. Without
your commitments, the visitors would not have been as satisfied as they are.
The knowhow of the entire operation would be succeeded as great heritage of
Grand Biere to next year, the year after next and ever. I feel deep
appreciation to your devotion and would like to deliver my heartfelt
appreciation.

The next Grand Biere is decided to take place at the same Tokyo Midtown in
April next year. Please help me again next year in making the next Grand
Biere the more rich and fruitful event.

Ryouji Oda
Chairman
Japan Craft Beer Association


What do you think about that? Getting served beer by the brewer who made it is the greatest thing since giant parmesan cheeses.