Microbreweries Picking Up Customers

[Mulboyne]

Photo: Popeye in Ryogaku, Tokyo

NYT: Specialty Beers on the Rise in the Land of Sake
BEER aficionados who move to Asia discover quickly that they need to scale back their expectations...But there's hope brewing in Japan. Thirteen years after it legalized microbreweries, the country has produced craft brewers who can hold their own with the best that the United States and Europe have to offer...Microbreweries were legalized in 1994, when the government lowered the legal limit for a brewing license to about 16,000 gallons a year from about 530,000...Craft beers met with an initial wave of success, with a peak of 310 microbreweries in 1999, Mr. Oda said. But then dozens closed at the start of this decade, many because of their staid offerings, he said. Some consumers decided the only noticeable difference between the microbreweries and the Asahis and Sapporos was the higher price tag from the smaller breweries...There are about 280 microbreweries today...all see growth potential for one big reason: the overwhelming majority of people drinking craft beers, especially the new ones, are younger than 40...more...

[dimwit]

I couldn't really figure out where to put this post, but as it seems to be mirror of the origanal post I thoguht here is as good a place as any.

[/b]l brewery brings sake to Toronto[b]


By MELINDA JOE
Toronto's Distillery District, located on the site of the now defunct Gooderham & Worts Distillery (which was once the largest whisky producer in the world), is a charming enclave of restored brick buildings housing upscale boutiques, cafes and galleries. When Ontario Spring Water Sake Co. opened in April, it also became home to Canada's third sake brewery, the first on the eastern coast of North America.

From the Japan Times

I noticed this summer in Toronto that sake seems to be attracting alot more attention from a broader range of customers. I don't know if there is objective evidence of this. I assume that the other two Canadian breweries are in Vancouver that has always had a large Japanese population.

[tone]

yeah its starting to get somewhere, and i love how much deeper the white belgian style influence is here than seattle, which does have a huge beer scene going on, but is on a bunch of style tangents with only a few makers making belgian or true german style hefeweizens.

you guys had the one from iwate, with the blue can and the reindeer or elk sillhouettes on the can? the yona yona is ok and nice to have around, but ive had better pale ales, but also worse.

super welcome to see. whats the story again with taxation here? why is happoshu cheaper and why has canned and "nama" (expensive, often piss quality with a stupidly sized foamy head) beer always seemed a little high priced?

[McTojo]

whats the story again with taxation here? why is happoshu cheaper and why has canned and "nama" (expensive, often piss quality with a stupidly sized foamy head) beer always seemed a little high priced?

Low malt content, lower tax bracket, but that's changing. Japanese drink the cheap stuff more for affect than for quality, which is otherwise dumbing down what a good quality brew should taste like from the angle of a real drinker. Good craft beer has been in Japan for a LONG TIME, just not enough Japs to appreciate the quality of it - cheap bastards. For most Japs, cheap equals good, and expensive equals bad, even if the said beverage is really good.

Maybe if nihonshu was cheaper more Japs would think it tasted good...? It's their hypocrisy I'm getting at.

[GomiGirl]

Low malt content, lower tax bracket, but that's changing. Japanese drink the cheap stuff more for affect than for quality, which is otherwise dumbing down what a good quality brew should taste like from the angle of a real drinker. Good craft beer has been in Japan for a LONG TIME, just not enough Japs to appreciate the quality of it - cheap bastards. For most Japs, cheap equals good, and expensive equals bad, even if the said beverage is really good.

Maybe if nihonshu was cheaper more Japs would think it tasted good...? It's their hypocrisy I'm getting at.

I would disagree with you. After many many night drinking with and serving drinks to Japanese people in various drinking establishments, I would say that many people do know and appreciate fine brews and beverages. However, when the goal is to get drunk or just on an ordinary night out, they will choose the cheapest and fastest route available the same as every other drinker I have met. Expensive stuff is great for tasting and enjoying slowly and people understand the differences of cheap and expensive and even the subtle differences that exist in the top shelf stuff.

Not everybody wants to be posh every day and save the good stuff for "special occasions". It doesn't mean that they don't appreciate it or understand it.

For somebody who is such a Japan-o-phile, you are kinda rude when talking about actual Japanese people. Or perhaps it is only "certain Japanese people" that are worthy of your praise.

The term "Jap" really grates on me so I would appreciate it you wouldn't use that derogatory term.

[matsuki]

For most Japs, cheap equals good, and expensive equals bad

I don't think you've even been to Japan with a comment like this...

[tone]

agreed - mctojo = KY

don't much like that word either. have coworkers asking if thats what americans call japanese, which, hell no obviously not in any circles i ran in

i just think the variety is good, theyve been hyped on their small variety (many labels) of beers for this long, its good for them to learn about other flavors, which are strong traditions in other countries. im not into bashing the japanese, but i also do like things like this that remind them that other countries kick ass also at different skills, and maybe chips away at their chauvinism a little. even ebisu, one of the top brands here, is not that much different tasting than the other 3 main flagship brands of lager. do love the premium malts CMs though, looks so tasty in them

now if coffee tastes and expectations could just continue to grow - theres a place in harajuku serving cafe vita from seattle, which is a pretty good roaster

[Mike Oxlong]

you guys had the one from iwate, with the blue can and the reindeer or elk sillhouettes on the can? the yona yona is ok and nice to have around, but ive had better pale ales, but also worse.

Of Ginga Kogen doest thou speak?:drool:

http://www.gingakogenbeer.com/english/index.html

[Samurai_Jerk]

The one thing I don't like about the craft beer scene in Japan and the US is the lack of decent lagers. I like a good hoppy craft beer or ale but I don't like drinking that stuff all night as it gets pretty heavy after awhile.

[tone]

SJ: agreed, though arent lagers over or well-represented here?

yeah, ginga kogen, thats the stuff. pretty good, and from a place by my place as low as 230 a can for nice belgian tasting stuff...

[Samurai_Jerk]

SJ: agreed, though arent lagers over or well-represented here?

Yeah, I guess you can only do so much with a lager.

[Mike Oxlong]

The one thing I don't like about the craft beer scene in Japan and the US is the lack of decent lagers. I like a good hoppy craft beer or ale but I don't like drinking that stuff all night as it gets pretty heavy after awhile.

This one's not bad at all.

[Samurai_Jerk]

This one's not bad at all.

I'll have to look for that. It doesn't actually taste like goya though, does it?

[Mike Oxlong]

No, but the slightly bitter finish works well.

[tone]

dry but not "super" dry

and i didnt look close, but it avoided the word "premium" which is nice

[Mike Oxlong]

I'm gonna go have one now, as I can't remember if it's a bitter start and smooth finish, or the other way around. They recently started selling the cans in conbini here...

[Dreamy_Peach]

[Samurai_Jerk]

I hope more supermarkets and restaurants start supporting these local efforts. Nothing is more disappointing that going to Tohoku or Hiroshima and having to order Asahi or Kirin in a restaurant.

I'd say that major Japanese brands like Asahi go a lot better with Japanese food than most of your microbrews.

[McTojo]

I would disagree with you. After many many night drinking with and serving drinks to Japanese people in various drinking establishments, I would say that many people do know and appreciate fine brews and beverages.

I find that really hard to believe. When you say various brews what do you mean? e.g. I would never drink Budweiser, even if it is cheaper than Ebisu. If I want to ruin my liver then drink the good stuff.

However, when the goal is to get drunk or just on an ordinary night out, they will choose the cheapest and fastest route available the same as every other drinker I have met. Expensive stuff is great for tasting and enjoying slowly and people understand the differences of cheap and expensive and even the subtle differences that exist in the top shelf stuff.

Again, that defies common sense. You give too much credit to your associates. Average drinkers do not choose always choose the cheap stuff to get drunk. And many Japanese do not consider the word Jap offensive.