Winter 2013
The end of 2012 did not go out with a whimper in Japan’s craft beer scene. While the unfortunate majority had to suffer through bonenkai (end-of-the-year parties), there were at least two big events offering respite from bland beer and drunk work colleagues.
Nagano Trading held its second annual Killer Bs II party at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, featuring beer, bowling, buffet and beer-pong. Organizer Andrew Balmuth unveiled a fantastic collaboration brew he helped coordinate between Ballast Point (which visited back in September) and Coedo beer. Will 2013 be the year of such cross-border collaboration brews? Believe it.
In additional news relating to Coedo, executive chef Jeff Hurst and his team at ANA Crowne Plaza Fukuoka have designed a pairing dinner with Chinese fusion dishes and four of Coedo’s beers. We tried it last year and thought it was wonderful. We hope other hotels in Japan are paying attention!
Whisk-e Limited hosted Hop Revolution in Shibuya in early December to much fanfare. As the first large-scale craft beer festival held in a club with several floors and professional DJs, it was a success in the minds of most attendees. To the delight of many craft beer fans, Whisk-e Limited brought over the brewers whose beer they import and ran a series of seminars both before and during the event. Many consumers, it seems, crave information as much as the craft beer itself and we hope importers and brewers alike will continue to take initiative in craft beer education.
Unfortunately, 2012 also saw the passing of Oshita Masaji, president of Minoh Beer. As Bryan Baird put it, “This is the first death of one of Japan’s great craft beer pioneers.” Hundreds of brewers, bar and restaurants owners, and industry friends from all over Japan attended the wake and funeral in December. Our requiem for Mr. Oshita is posted on our website.
Some people might be asking, Is this the end of Minoh Beer? Hell no. Mr. Oshita’s oldest daughter, and also head brewer, Kaori is taking the reigns to mark a new era in the Minoh dynasty. Already, she and bar owners across Japan organized a kind of remembrance day, to collectively serve Minoh Beer. Additionally, she is working on a “Masaji Beer Project,” where eleven domestic brewers will create a beer in his honor (Masaji Beer Project). Somewhere, Mr. Oshita must be smiling at his daughter’s Osaka business spirit! Look for the beer in early March.
In January, the Japan Beer Times celebrated three years of publication with the Yokohama Winter Beer Bash, an event that brought together the breweries and importers that have sponsored the magazine through the years. 800 people converged on the venue for five hours of live music, great craft beer and grilled grub. From the feedback we’ve received, attendees had a blast and are begging us to do it again. Time for an annual beer festival in the middle of winter? Time indeed.
Finally, as readers of last edition may remember, we sponsored a beer label art contest. On the following page are some of the notable entries.
This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.
