Valentines Day is around the corner. Are you looking a special present for that beer drinker in your life? Craft Beer Chubu is here to help you. Recently, I have tried some some Japanese chocolate beers and a unique sweet beer. Enjoy!!
These three excellent beers are from Kanagawa's Sanktgallen Bewery. They can be bought in the second floor basement of Takashimaya at JR Nagoya Station and at Yanagibashi's Odakaya Liquor Store. These beers are priced around 450 yen per bottle.
Sanktgallen's Imperial Chocolate Stout
ABV 9%
Nose: dark chocolate
slight coffee
roasted malt
slightly sweet
Taste: hints of bitterness from hops
roasted malt
bitter chocolate
somewhat strong due to the high alcohol content
dry roasted coffee beans
This beer is recommended for those who are looking for a full flavor beer that has a slight kick to it.
Sanktgallen's Smoked Chocolate Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Nose: dark chocolate
roasted malt
coffee beans
somewhat smoky
This beer is recommended who are looking a stout that is not heavy but has a flavorful punch.
Sanktgallen's Kukoto Sweet Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Nose: sweet
malty
hints of coffee bean
hints of brown sugar
Taste: smooth
somewhat sweet
somewhat bitter
brown sugar
This is a very refined beer. The brown sugar from Okinawa adds an interesting dynamic to the beer. Would go great with Japanese food.
There is one more beer available for Valentines Day, and it is not recommended. It can be at the Seijo Ishii supermarket. One bottle is 630 yen.
Shirayuki Chocola Premium
ABV: 5.5%
Nose: milk chocolate
chocolate spread
Taste: low bitterness
clean
light
milk chocolate
This is a very superficial beer. The milk chocolate in this beer is very disappointing. When tasting it, it tasted like fake chocolate. This beer was clearly made for Valentines Day. It is a light disappointing beer that is expensive.
I started this blog because I want to show people the wonderful craft breweries and bars that are in the Chubu area of Japan. Many people are not aware of these places. Many of friends were asking were they can drink good tasting beer. This was one of the reasons on why I started Craft Beer Chubu.
The other main reason why I started this blog because I was getting tired of drinking mega corporate macro brewed beers. I will say one thing though that Japanese macro brewed beers taste much better then their American counterparts. Craft beers provide new sensations of flavors and taste. Craft breweries are artisans in the truest sense. They are painters and sculptors. However instead of using brushes and paint, they are utilizing hops, malts, and yeasts in their creative process. Also, brewers are scientists in their own right. Brewing the perfect beer is science and artistry combined.
These two videos perfectly showcase why I purchase, consume, and advocate for craft beer.
On Sunday during the Super Bowl, Budweiser released this commercial.
As an avid craft beer drinker and a advocate for the craft beer revolution, I find this commercial rude and impudent. Budweiser is trying to take on the craft beer industry. They are a bunch of hypocrites. Budweiser is owned a mega corporation called AB InBev based out of the Europe. AB Inbev is the largest beer company in the world. They have been taking over craft breweries for a while now including Chicago's Goose Island Brewery. In the commercial, they are mocking pumpkin peach ale to show the unique ingredients used in many craft beers. Interestingly, the same company that produces the pumpkin peach ale, Elysian Brewing Company, was purchased by AB InBev.
Also, many people are becoming educated about what they are eating and drinking. Craft breweries have been noticing for some time now. Craft breweries have been producing a quality product with hard work and grit. Many people including myself have been drinking craft beers because we want to enjoy the variety of flavors and smells that craft beer brings to the table. Good beer should be enjoyed and not slammed. If you want to slam your beer and drink to get to drunk, then by all means, stick with the mega corporate beers like Budweiser.
I believe that drinking should be an experience. I want to taste the intricate taste and flavor of craft beer. I want to enjoy my beer. I worked hard for it.
By the way, craft breweries are not sitting down from a fight. They took on Budweiser with this clever parody of the Budweiser ad.
In the recent months, there has been a craft beer bar boom in Nagoya especially in the Nagoya Station area (名駅). There is 7 Days Brew, Y Market Brewing, The Corner, and Ceasurus. A newcomer has arrived in Tap Room. Tap Room comes from the people who brought you 23 Beerz, Ceasurus, Cafe Lembeek, and the craft beer store, Bier Markt.
Tap Room specializes in Japanese craft beer. They have a variety of craft beer labels ranging from Nagoya's Kinshachi and Y Market Brewing to internationally known Hitachino Nest. The beers also vary in style from stouts to beers infused with yuzu. On our visit there, my friend who came with me and I noticed two problems with the beer. Some beers were slightly over chilled. Also, the size of beer surprised us, too. At Tap Room, you will not find a pint. The regular beer here is only 420 ml. The small size is 280 ml. For the prices that they charge, they should be serving larger portions.
Besides craft beer, Tap Room has a wine and cocktail menu. This is a nice addition because there are some people that do not drink beer. I saw one patron enjoying a cup of coffee.
The food program at Tap Room consists of appetizers, tapas, and light meals. The food was designed to accompany the variety of beer and other drinks. Tap Room is a good destination for those who are looking to have something to drink and a snack. This is very nice after-dinner place to enjoy a few beers and conversations.
Tap Room is a very stylish and trendy bar. It certainly follows the current of trend in craft beer bar design. It is a modern take on a English pub. The big craft beer menus that are hanging on the wall are user friendly. Even though the entire menu is in Japanese, a non-Japanese speaker could easily decipher the color coded beers on the menu. Oh, the rainbow beer glass represents a fruit beer. The same color codes can be found at 23 Craft Beerz.
Address: 〒453-0002
愛知県名古屋市中村区名駅3-5-141F Aichi-ken Nagoya-shi Nakamura-ku Meieki 3-15-14 1F Website: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/ssmvgtmk0000/ Phone Number: 050-5787-6711 Business Hours: 月～木・日 Monday to Thursday, Sundays
17:00～翌1:00 金・土・祝前日 Friday, Saturday, Day Before Holiday
17:00～翌3:00
Smoking: Yes
In a previous post, I taught you various places on where to drink and enjoy craft beer. After enjoying a craft beer at a bar and/or restaurant, you are probably wondering where you can purchase those beers for drinking at home. This growing list of stores will show you various establishments that sell craft beer. In the Chubu area, there are variety of craft beer specialty stores and liquor stores that sell craft beer. Also, I have listed some supermarkets and food stores that stock craft beer on a regular basis. Keep in mind that this a continually growing list. New locations will be showing up on the list from time to time.
Chubu Craft Beer Specialty Stores
Name: Bier Markt(Craft Beer Specialty Store)
Selection of Craft Beer:Japanese, European, and American craft beers
Glassware
Price of Beer: varies from 300 yen to 2000 yen (per bottle)
Review:Do you
want to try some of the beers that you had while visiting 23 Craft Beerz or
Café Lembeek?Then, you should
visit the craft beer boutique, Bier Markt, in Motoyama.Bier Markt sells a variety of craft
beers that are mostly from European, American, and some Japanese
breweries.A bottle of beer
typically runs from 350 yen to 2000 yen.Their selection changes on a regular basis.They, also, sell a variety of glassware and some snacks to
accompany your beer.
Review:Okadaya
has been a mainstay in the Yanagibashi Market for years.They are well-know purveyors of sake (日本酒) and
shochu in Nagoya.Recently, they
have added a refrigerated case full of Japanese micro-brews.Besides operating the liquor store and
distributor, Okadaya started a craft beer revolution with their restaurants:
Craft Beer Keg Nagoya, Craft Beer and Wine Grillman, and most recently Y Market
Brewing.
Name: みのや北村酒店 (Minoya Kitakura) aka OK Mart (Liquor Store)
Selection of Craft Beer: various bottled Japanese craft
beers
Price of Beer:300 yen to 600 yen (per bottle)
Review:Ever
been to a liquor store in which it has a bar and you can enjoy your purchase in
the store?Well if you go to go
Ozone's Ok Mart, you can exactly do that.They offer a decent selection of Japanese craft beers for sale.Also, you can choose from a variety of
snacks that you can purchase to enhance your drinking experience.On occasion, there is a small live band
playing some music.
Selection of Craft Beers: various bottled Japanese and European craft beers
Price of Beer: 300 yen to 1000 yen (per bottle)
Review: Chitashige has been in busy for 90 years, and when you step inside, you will figure out why this is the case. Chitashige is well-known for their sake (日本酒), shochu, and umeshu offerings. Also, whiskey drinkers especially single-malt fans have been going to this shop to check out their impressive selection of whiskey. In the recent years, they have been stocking many varieties of beers especially Japanese craft beers and European imports. They have a wide selection of Belgian beers. Their prices are quite reasonable considering this is a small local shop. Local shops tend to have higher prices when compared with chain liquor stores and supermarkets. However, Chitashige is not one of these places.
Operating Hours: 09:00-21:00 (Sun. to Tue. and Thu. to Sat.)
Closed Wednesdays
Name: Liquor Mountain (nationwide liquor store chain)
Selection of Craft Beer: various Japanese and European Craft Beers
Price of Beer: 200 yen to 1000 yen (per bottle/can)
Review: Liquor Mountain is a nationwide liquor store chain that is starting to sell craft and import beers on a regular basis. This store is known for the wide selection of wine, whiskey, liqueurs, and international food. Their prices are very reasonable. Liquor Mountain has been recently expanding their locations in the Chubu region.
Selection of Craft Beer: small selection of European imports and Japanese craft
beers
Price of Beer: 300 yen to 700 yen (per bottle/can)
Review: Sakeyabikku is a nationwide liquor store chain that is starting to sell European imports and Japanese craft beers. The selection of beer will vary from store to store. Besides beer, they have various shochu, sake, whiskey, and wine for sale. Plus, they carry a selection of food and snacks.
Name: Yamaya (international food and liquor store)
Selection of Craft Beer: various world beers
Price of Beer: 200 yen to 1000 yen (per bottle/can)
Review: Yamaya is a national chain store that has a plethora of liquors, whiskeys, beer, wine, and food stuffs. This store is well known for their selection and their reasonable prices. For an international centric food store, their prices are very comparable to major supermarkets. Their selection of products is outstanding.
Address: various locations (check website for more details)
Website: https://www.yamaya.jp/
Business Hours: varies (check website for more details)
Note: Yamaya has only location in Nagoya. It is located about 5 minutes from Fujigaoka. Here is a video that I made for my other blog, Dining Dojo.
Name: Seijo Ishii (international food and liquor store)
Selection of Craft Beer: various world beers
Price of Craft Beer: 200 yen to 1000 yen (per can/bottle)
Review: Seijo Ishii is a national chain store that has a plethora of liquors, whiskeys, beer, wine, and food stuffs. Their prices are quite reasonable. Their selection of craft beer tends to be small, but they regularly stock a variety of decent of craft beer. Their selection may vary from location to location, though. Besides selling beer and liquor at some locations, they have a fruit, meat, and vegetable sections.
Business Hours: varies (check website for more details)
Name: Kitano Ace (international food and liquor store)
Selection of Craft Beer: various international beers
Price of Craft Beer: from 250 yen to 1000 yen (per bottle/can)
Review: Kitano Ace is a national chain store that has a plethora of liquors,
whiskeys, beer, wine, and food stuffs. Their prices are quite
reasonable. Their selection of craft beer tends to be smaller than the other stores listed, but they
regularly stock a variety of decent of craft beer. Their selection may
vary from location to location, though.
Address: various locations (check website for more details)
Website: http://www.ace-group.co.jp/
Business Hours: varies (check website)
Other Places that Sell Craft Beer
Bic Camera: The major electronic store that is located across from Nagoya Station has a decent liquor selection in the basement. They have a variety of international craft beer.
Aeon /Jusco/ MaxValue/ Seiyuu: The major shopping mall and department store chain stocks a great selection of craft beer in their liquor departments. For fans of American West Coast beer, you can find Stone, Rogue, and other brands here.
Note: If you want to try Imaike Beer (今池ビール), check out the Imaike branch of Seiyuu.
I hope you had enjoyable New Year's celebration. Recently I have not been posting on this blog for a while now. I have been undertaking different projects. I will be posting more things on this blog. Stay tuned for new content! Also to catch up on the latest happenings from Craft Beer Chubu, be sure to follow our page on Facebook and on Instagram. Those pages have lots of new content.
Selection of Craft Beer:various Japanese craft beers
Price of Craft Beer:from 680 yen
(pints are from 800 yen)
Review:
Chicken Boy in Imaike combines two great things: craft beer
and yakitori.This restaurant
offers a variety of Japanese craft beers including Imaike Beer.The food goes well with the variety of
beer.The food mostly consists of
small dishes and yakitori.This
place maybe small, but its comforting, relaxing atmosphere makes up for
it.The owner is really
friendly.He is quite
knowledgeable of beer and can make suggestions for you.Also, he can provide information on the
local craft beer scene.Chicken
Boy offers great craft beer, delicious food, and friendly service at a
reasonable price.
