Baird Beer E-Shop

I remember when I first discovered that I could buy Japanese craft beer online and have it shipped to my house. Now, I know it sounds like a simple idea, but I must admit, when I first came here--I had no idea that it was possible. Most likely this stems from the fact that it is illegal to ship/mail alcohol in the US. It is also illegal for a brewer to sell beer directly to a consumer. Due to the genius system we have in America (tongue explodes through cheek), breweries in the US must first sell to a distributer who then can sell to a retailer. I know, makes sense.

Here in Japan, however, this is not the case. There are several sites where you can purchase many different kinds of Japanese craft beer and have it shipped directly to your door. Sites like Goodbeer.jp have many great styles to choose from, at competitive prices.

However, for the non-kanji reading lot of you out there, you are fresh out of luck. Most of these sites are 100% in Japanese and require you to create a profile that is also in Japanese. Addresses and such must be written in kanji, and that can be daunting for someone who has been in Japan for years, much less months.

If you are lucky enough to have a close Japanese friend to help, or if your Japanese is better than mine--you can navigate these sites and find yourself some cold beer sitting on your doorstep. If you don't though...and you live outside of Tokyo or one of the major cities of Japan...you may find yourself, through no fault of your own, stuck with Super Dry.

Enter Baird Beer's new E-Shop. After a long wait while the site was very well designed, the E-Shop is up and running. True to Baird Beer's love and passion for making great beer and making it accessible to all people here in Japan, the E-shop is available in English and Japanese.

Even if you don't speak a word of Japanese, the E-Shop allows you to access the finest craft beer that Japanese has to offer. Just to make sure I wasn't blowing smoke, on Sunday I ordered TWO cases of 633ml bottles from Baird. One mixed case of seasonals, and one case of Dark Sky Imperial Stout. Using the E-Shop and paying with PayPal, I had my beers ordered in 3 minutes.

After you create a simple profile (a one time deal), you can make your selection and choose your form of payment. You can pay via PayPal, Bank Transfer, or COD. For those of you that have an existing PayPal account, payment is super easy. To pay via bank transfer is also easy if you have a bank account here in Japan. You can pay from any ATM, and if you visit an ATM at a post office or bank, an attendant can help you the first time around. It is surprisingly easy. If you pay via bank transfer, your beers won't ship until Baird receives your payment. Paying via COD is also possible, but not ideal for me, since I am not always certain when I will be home and when I will be out on the town! But, if you don't have a bank account here, it is an option that makes these great beers accessible to you!

I have been assured by the brewers at Baird that they ship from Hokkaido to Okinawa and all of the small islands and hamlets in between. However, they only ship in Japan. (Maybe one day Kentucky!)

If you read me ranting and raving about Baird Beer but have never tried it, the E-Shop is for you. Beers are very reasonably priced (Think 350 yen for a 633ml of 5% bland Super Dry compared to ~1000 yen for 633ml of 10% hand-craft-brewed-with-care-delicious Barley wine) and they offer a wide selection for all beer fans.

Order some now, you won't be disappointed!!!!