Baird Beer’s Bashamichi Taproom and the Japan Beer Times are hosting a special event this weekend to celebrate the release of three special beers: Ivanhoe Pale Ale, Gargoyle Pale Ale, and Dual Hop Session Red Ale. The first two beers are single-hopped with two rare hop varieties from California (Ivanhoe and Gargoyle), but use the…
by Brian Kowalczyk Both craft beer and fine whiskey share an origin in malt. More likely than not, fans of one are fans of the other. The grains grew up together, went to the same maltster, and then parted ways. Of late, reuniting the long lost brothers has become increasingly popular. Recently I attended an…
The powder is falling, the beer is calling. Recreational winter sports followed by beer with friends is a special treat of the season. Unfortunately, there aren’t so many winter resort businesses in Japan that offer a good selection for craft beer enthusiasts. One came to our attention recently, however, that is definitely worth highlighting: Tap…
by Brian Kowalczyk When Goose Island brewed up its very first batch of Bourbon County Brand Stout and aged it in six barrels in 1992 they couldn’t have predicted the craze that barrel-aging would become in the last decade. Now with one of the largest barrel-aging programs in the U.S., it’s clear that they still…
In October we had the opportunity to sit down with Dave Engbers (Co-founder and President) and Brian May (VP of International Sales) of Founders Brewing Company during their first visit to Japan. It’s been almost a year since we introduced them to you in our 2016 winter issue. As one might expect in the constantly…
