Category Archives: Baird Beer

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/101/04): More Fall Seasonal Releases: Yabai-Yabai and Autumn Red

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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More Fall Seasonal Releases: Yabai-Yabai and Autumn Red

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The wait is over. Today we are releasing from our cellars the 2011 version of Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale! You should be able to find pints on draught at your favorite Baird Beer drinking establishment beginning Saturday, November 5 (and at our own Taproom pubs beginning today — Friday, November 4). Bottles (633 ml) too are available through our network of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan as well as direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop.

New Seasonal Beer Releases:
*Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale 2011 (ABV 8.3%):

Scotland, an historically important center of beer brewing, has a cool climate that favors cultivation of the hardy barley plant. Scottish Ales, thus, tend to feature the rich and robust flavor of malted barley. Baird Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale is, in a word, opulent! The color is a deep mahogany brown and the head is dense, creamy and tan. The aroma is one of soft fruit esters and warm fusel alcohols. The body is chewy and the flavor exhibits notes of molasses, caramel apples, rum cake and pit fruit. One hearty pint is enough to take the bite out of the late autumn chill. Two pints will leave you toasty, and blissfully, warm. Three pints and…. YABAI!

Today we also are pleased to announce the tapping of our latest small-batch real ale: Autumn Red Ale (ABV 5.2%). Brewed back in August with visions of the upcoming fall season foliage dancing in our heads, Autumn Red is finally ready to take its place in our Taproom hand-pump lineup. It manages to combine beautifully a hearty malt flavor with a sprite hop character (derived all from a single hop — U.S. Ahtanum). Autumn Red Ale is available only on hand-pump and exclusively at our Taproom pubs.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/10/28): Celebration of the Life of a Country Girl

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Celebration of the Life of a Country Girl

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

For many Japan craft beer enthusiasts, an annual autumn rite of passage is the release of a deliciously down-to-earth Baird Beer: Country Girl Kabocha Ale. Country Girl marks her 10th annual debut on Friday, October 28.

My mother, Sally Eshelman Baird, is the ‘country girl’ who inspired this earthy and elegant ale. Born and raised in pumpkin country in central Ohio, Sally embodied all of the great Midwestern virtues: modesty, honesty, earthy elegance and simple sophistication. She was the most earnestly forthright and candid person I have ever known. I remember during her final visit to Japan in 2005 to help us celebrate the opening of our new brewery, she opined to me while sipping a Baird Beer at our Fishmarket Taproom: “I’m not sure how much I really like Baird Beer, but I sure do like and appreciate the hard work and integrity that goes into it.”

I think she was proud of our efforts. She passed away on August 30, 2011 at the age of seventy-six. A son’s profound and eternal love for his mother is the spirit which has imbued the brewing of Country Girl Kabocha Ale over the past decade. That spirit is deeply manifest in this 2011 goodbye batch.

*Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2011 (ABV 6.2%):

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin-like squash the taste of which is elegantly sweet. The kabocha we use is grown in the Heda garden of our carpenter-partner-friend, Nagakura-san. We first cook it in order to gelatinize it, then we add it to our mash where the enzymes from the malt help to further break it down into simple fermentable sugars. Several characterful varieties of malted barley produce a hearty wort that when married to the kabocha yields a flavor partnership of great depth and balance. After fermentation, re-fermentation and conditioning, the result is an earthy, rustic beer that manages to deliver an extraordinarily sophisticated yet subtle complexity of flavor. It is, to many resident beer enthusiasts, the flavor of fall in Japan!

Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2011 begins pouring from the taps of our Taproom pubs beginning Friday, October 28. It also will be served at other fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants in Japan beginning the same day. Bottles (633 ml) can be purchased direct from our brewery E-shop and through the family of Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/10/21): Bakayaro!

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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Bakayaro!

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Times are tough in Japan: the economy is contracting, the nuclear fiasco continues to menace, government debt balloons larger as the population ages and shrinks, and politicians and bureacrats remain clueless. If this is not a Bakayaro! moment, I don’t know what would be.

Well, Baird Brewing is an enterprising company and we have managed to perfectly, and deliciously, keg and bottle this national angst. Today, we are cyncially proud to release Bakayaro! Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Bakayaro! Ale 2011 (ABV 8.5%):

This insolent, snotty and mean-spirited brew is pungently hoppy and wickedly strong. High in malt gravity (19.2 Plato), bitter in hoppiness (90 IBU), aggressive in aroma (dry-hopping with Centennial and Cascade), Bakayaro! Ale just doesn’t give a rat’s ass. We invite you to come in, have a pint and let those around know exactly how you feel.

Bakayaro! Ale is available both on draught and in bottles (633 ml), which can be purchased direct from the brewery E-Shop or through one of the fine Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan.

*Chotto Baka Ale (ABV 4.2%):

Should Bakayaro! prove too angry and overbearing for you, we also are introducing his milder younger brother, Chotto Baka. Chotto Baka shares a common malt, hop and yeast DNA with Bakayaro!, only less of everything. Chotto Baka is available only as real ale on hand-pump and exclusively at our Taproom pubs.

Up yours!
(Cheers,)

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/09/28): Newest Seasonal Release: Belgian Pale Ale

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Newest Seasonal Release: Belgian Pale Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We brew ten distinct year-round varieties of Baird Beer, incorporating three different yeast strains. Eight of these varieties are fermented with our house ale yeast, which is a Scottish ale strain; one with a lager yeast from North America; and one with a yeast from Belgian, supposedly a wit strain. Each of these yeast strains possess a distinct personality which imparts unique flavor and aroma attributes to the fermented beer.

We often brew single-hop beers when first using an unfamiliar hop variety in order to fully understand its character contribution in isolation from other hops. Well, in order to more fully comprehend character contribution from an individual yeast strain, would it not be interesting to brew an established year-round recipe only ferment it with a different yeast than normal? We have done just this in our newest seasonal beer which is being released today: Baird Belgian Pale Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Baird Belgian Pale Ale (ABV 5.5%):

Rising Sun Pale Ale is one of our most beloved year-round beers. It is an interpretation of a hoppy American west coast pale ale bursting with fresh citrus flavors. Baird Belgian Pale Ale is Rising Sun all the way to the fermentation tank, where we pitch it not with our Scottish ale yeast but rather our Belgian ale strain. The final flavor difference is really quite deliciously profound. Come in for a pint and experience this yourself!

Baird Belgian Pale Ale is being poured from the taps of each of our Taproom pubs beginning today (Wednesday, September 28). It also will be available at fine Baird Beer retailing pubs, restaurants and liquor shops throughout Japan beginning Thursday, September 29. Kegs and bottles (633 ml) both are available.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Japan, Shizuoka, Tourism

Oktober Fest at Beer No Yokota Pub in Shizuoka City!

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Service: Very friendly if a bit shy
Facilities: Very clean. Superb toilets for a pub!
Prices: Appropriate
Strong Points: Baird Beer!
Entirely non-smoking!

All beer lovers, let it be known that Beer No Yokota Pub in Shizuoka City are holding an Oktober Fest!

The event will be held from September 17th (Saturday) through October 3rd (Monday)
The beer on tap for the whole period will be different from the usual!
They will offer no less than 15 beers on tap featuring 6 by Baird Beer (Numazu City) and other delicious nectars from Munchen, Nagano Prefecture and others. Plenty to explore for your palate!

And plenty of good grub to go with the beer will be available. Plan a long evening!

BEER NO YOKOTA PUB
420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Gofuku-Cho, 2-5-12 (2 minutes on foot from Gofuku Cho Scramble. Check map on homepage)
Tel.: 054-255-3683
Opening hours: 17:00~24:00 (from 15:00 on weekends and National Holidays)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Numazu City, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/08/29): New Seasonal Release: Baird Belgian Wit

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New Seasonal Release: Baird Belgian Wit

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The brief hiatus in Baird Beer seasonal releases is over. Today we are debuting of a first-time seasonal brew: Baird Belgian Wit.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Baird Belgian Wit (ABV 4.7%):

Witbier means “white beer.” It takes its name from the extraordinarily light, white-hued color that is the by-product of mashing with large portions of un-malted wheat. Witbiers are seen as descendants of un-hopped medieval beers that were flavored with a blend of herbs and/or spices referred to as “gruit.” Today, the poster beer for this category is the Belgian brand Hoegaarden White, which is spiced with a combination of coriander and orange peel and is very lightly hopped.

Baird Belgian Wit is mashed with a grist consisting of 30 percent un-malted Japanese wheat. We added a pinch of homegrown coriander seed, which we lightly crushed, to the conditioning tank along with a dollop of orangey NZ Cascade dry hops. Fermentation was achieved with our Belgian house yeast, originally a Belgian witbier strain.

The result is a light, fragrant and effervescent brew that manages a surprising depth of flavor. This is a perfect libation to enjoy amidst the wanning heat of summer. Baird Belgian Wit is available on draught at each of our Taproom pubs as well as at other fine Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan. A small inventory of bottles (633 ml) also are available for purchase.

In addition to the Belgian Wit, we also are pouring a new small-batch real ale from the handpumps of our Taproom pubs: Six Nations Hop Ale (ABV 5.2%). The name of this dry-hopped golden ale derives from the fact that it incorporates hops from six different nations: US Galena, New Zealand Motueka, German Tradition, English East Kent Golding, Slovenian Styrian Golding, and Czech Saaz. The resultant hop character can best be described as earthy, grassy and floral. This unique real ale is available exclusively at our Taproom pubs and quantities are limited so stop in for a pint soon.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/08/02): Asian Beauty Biwa Ale & Brewer’s Secret Handshake

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Upcoming Seasonal Releases: Asian Beauty Biwa Ale & Brewer’s Secret Handshake

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We continue thirstily working down through our deep lineup of Baird Beer summer seasonals. Today it is one of our special fruited ales that is stepping up to the plate: Asian Beauty Biwa Ale.

Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2011 (ABV 5.8%):
Biwa is “the small, yellow, edible, plum-like fruit of the loquat tree.” We had no idea what it was until our partner-friend-carpenter-farmer, Nagakura-san, brought some in several years ago for us to taste and then brew with. It is an extremely subtle fruit that harmonizes sweetness with tartness. Asian Beauty Biwa Ale is coyly fruity, spritely effervescent and yet delicately firm — like a true Asian Beauty!

Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2011 begins pouring from our Taproom taps beginning Wednesday, August 3, and it is available for delivery from our brewery beginning Tuesday, August 2. Due to the very limited number of bottles (633 ml), we will not be selling Asian Beauty on our consumer E-Shop. It will be available, however, through select Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan.

In the summer seasonal on deck circle is a sacred ale: Brewer’s Secret Handshake.

Brewer’s Secret Handshake (ABV 6.0%):
The German city of Dusseldorf is renowned for its Altbier. From time to time, apparently, the city’s Altbier brewpub brewers make seasonal specialty Alts as surprise treats for customers. These specialty Alts are known as sticke (secret) Alts or Latzenbier (slab beer). Compared to standard Altbier, the secret versions tend to be stronger, darker and hoppier, according to German beer writer Horst Dornbush.

Brewer’s Secret Handshake is our version of a sticke Alt. It is fairly strong (6% by volume), darkish brown in color, and unabashedly hoppy (50 IBUs of US Magnum, NZ Hallertau Aroma, US Perle and German Tettnanger). It will be available to Taproom patrons who are privy to the brewer’s secret handshake beginning Wednesday, August 10. Shipments to Baird Beer retail accounts will begin on Tuesday, August 9. Retail accounts are welcome to contact Kojima-san at the brewery office and begin reserving for shipment kegs and bottles (633 ml). Again, due to very limited bottle supply, we will not be selling Brewer’s Secret Handshake on the brewery E-Shop.

Upcoming Taproom Events:
*Harajuku Taproom 2-Year Birthday Celebration (Sat-Sun, August 6-7):

That Japanese traditional yakitori-style food and flavorful craft beer are wonderful mates when matched together has been demonstrated beyond doubt by our Harajuku Taproom. This coming weekend, the Harajuku Taproom will be celebrating its 2-year birthday. Highlights of the weekend celebration include:

Tapping of its anniversary ale: Terrible Two Hara-Tap Birthday Ale (a strong golden ale — 6.7% abv — with moderate levels of hop bitterness but heavily laden with spicy-herbal hop flavor and aroma (courtesy of Slovenian Styrian Golding, US Santiam and NZ Hallertau Aroma). This special brew will be available only on draught and only at the Harajuku Taproom
Special weekend-only food menu with items priced in the 500 yen range.
Standing room will be made available for this weekend event and all orders will be handled on a cash-on basis. Please mark your calendar and plan on joining the celebration (and be sure to wish the terrific team at Harajuku a Happy Birthday!).

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/07/21)

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New Summer Seasonal Releases: Hop Havoc & Japan Tale Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Thanks to all those who joined us in Numazu over the holiday weekend for our Fishmarket Taproom 11-year anniversary celebration. It was a terrific party. The Hop Havoc Anniversary Ale was a particular hit and we thus are pleased to announce its release to the broader public today. In addition, we have another special release treat today — the return of our ume-laden Japan Tale Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Hop Havoc Anniversary Ale (ABV 6.2%):

This hop-monster ale was brewed to commemorate the 11-year birthday of our first Taproom: Numazu Fishmarket Taproom. It was conceived in what I call a ‘Greenflash’ moment — Greenflash, of course, being the San Diego craft brewery renowned for its massively hoppy beers.

Hop Havoc Anniversary Ale enjoys a malt base similar to what one might find in a strong pale ale (e.g. 13.9 P made up of Maris Otter and Carahell), but the hopping is what one would see in a double IPA (e.g. 90 IBUs and double dry-hopping with Columbus, Citraand Cascade varieties). The hallmarks of Baird Beer, though, abound everywhere, from the unfiltered hop haze to the soft and natural carbonation to the powerful yet balanced and un-heavy flavor profile.

Hop Havoc is available in limited quantities in both keg- and bottle-conditioned form. Order fast.

*Japan Tale Ale 2011 (ABV 6.2%):

Brewed with a host of indigenous Japanese ingredients (un-malted wheat, korizato sugar, fresh ume plums and, of course, lovely soft Numazu water) Japan Tale Ale is lightly hopped, pleasantly tart and extremely refreshing. It’s hazy, milky-white color and snow-white foam collar are reminiscent of a Belgian witbier. It drinks, though, like a beer version of a well-made ume sour (a popular drink served in traditional Japanese pubs that is made with distilled shochu and plums and served carbonated on ice).

Japan Tale Ale 2011 is now pouring from the taps of each of our Baird Beer Taprooms and will be available both on draught and in 633 ml bottles at Baird Beer retailing pubs and liquor shops throughout Japan.

Upcoming Taproom Events:

Please mark your calendar for Friday, July 29. On this day, we plan to unveil, at long last and at all four of our Taprooms, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami relief collaboration beer brewed in San Diego by Stone Brewing, Ishii Brewing and Baird Brewing. The beer is called Japanese Green Tea IPA and by all accounts in the U.S., where it already has debuted, it is a real treat. 100 percent of the sales revenue generated by this beer at all or our Taproom pubs will be donated to charities dealing with Tohoku disaster relief.

More beer, event and charity designation details will be upcoming in the next bulletin.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, 観光, Gastronomy

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/07/14)

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Seasonal Release: Old World Kolsch; Fish-Tap 11 Year Anniversary

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Need respite from the scorching summer heat? Enjoyment of a cool and refreshing beer is your best bet. Today we are releasing a fantastically effective heat-beating brew: Old World Kolsch.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Old World Kolsch (ABV 5%):

In the annals of German beer history, Kolsch actually is a relatively “new world” style at a mere two centuries old. It is a pale, dry, assertively hopped golden ale know as the “beer of Cologne.” A fruity-winy bouquet is one of its hallmarks. Baird Old World Kolsch is brewed with Bohemian Pilsner and German Wheat malts, as well as English Maris Otter, and hopped with a combination of German Tradition, Czech Saaz and American Sterling varieties. The appearance is highlighted by a gorgeously full head of long-lasting white foam and a slightly hazy white-gold color. The aroma is zesty and lemon-like. The flavor is dry and quenching with a hint of bitter hop fruit.

Old World Kolsch begins pouring from our Taproom taps today, Thursday, July 14. It will be available on draught at other Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan beginning Friday, July 15. A very limited number of bottles (633 ml) will be available too.

Upcoming Taproom Events:
*Fishmarket Taproom 11-Year Anniversary Celebration (Sat-Mon, July 16 – 18):

It truly is hard to believe that it has been eleven years since Sayuri and I opened the doors of the Numazu Fishmarket Taproom for business. It is a fact, though. Michiru, Chris and the staff are planning a special 3-day birthday celebration to commemorate. If you haven’t made it out to see us in Numazu recently, or maybe never have been at all, this is a great opportunity to visit. Weekend celebration highlights include:

*All-you-can-eat buffet (including items from the outside grill) @ 1,500 yen per person (orders stop @ 8:00 pm)

*All Baird Beer @ 500 yen (in plastic bura-bura cups; kindly keep your cup for re-use)

*Debut Release of Hop Havoc 11-Year Anniversary Ale (this celebration ale is hopped massively, like Suruga Bay, but with a much lower starting gravity and alcohol content)

*Tapping of a single cask of barrel-aged Second Strike Apple Ale (Monday, July 18 — limit one glass per patron)

*Various live music and magician performances

*Brewer-conducted Baird Brewery tours (1:00 and 4:00 pm on Sat-Sun; 1:00 pm on Mon — tours depart from the Fishmarket Taproom)

Doors open each day, including Monday (which is a Japan national holiday), at noon. Reservations are not required; thirst for good beer, appetite for excellent food, and sociable disposition are required.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/06/29)

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Early Summer Seasonal Release: Cool Breeze Pils

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

As I sit sweltering in front of my computer wondering where the rainy season went, I begin longing for a refreshingly brisk and quenching libation. Fortunately, the Baird Beer cellar is stocked with just such a brew: Cool Breeze Pils. Baird Cool Breeze Pils 2011 is available for shipment from our brewery cellar beginning today, June 29.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Cool Breeze Pils 2011 (ABV 5.2%):

Brewed annually, Cool Breeze Pils is Bohemian in style, cleanly malty in body, coquettishly floral in aroma, and crisply dry in its snappy bitter finish. Cool Breeze Pils registers on the imbiber like a fresh ocean breeze does on the perspiring body of a mid-afternoon sunbather. Cool Breeze Pils is unfiltered and re-fermented and naturally carbonated in package where it has undergone an extended maturation. The result, we believe, pays handsome tribute to the glorious history of this storied lager beer style.

Cool Breeze Pils 2011 will be pouring from our Taproom taps beginning Thursday, June 30. It will be available on draught and in bottles (633 ml) at many other fine Baird Beer retailing establishments as well.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, Numazu City, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/06/01)

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Seasonal Release: Rainy Season Black Ale 2011

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The rainy season kicked off a bit early this year and, fortunately, we were not caught off guard. Yes, Rainy Season Black Ale 2011 was brewed in plenty of time to meet the early arrival of Japan’s grey season. This hoppy black ale begins pouring from our Taproom taps today, Wednesday, June 1.

New Seasonal Baird Beer Releases:
*Rainy Season Black Ale 2011 (ABV 6.0%):

A torrential down-pouring of hops define this otherwise roasty, toasty, espresso-like black ale. 60 bittering units of clean, crisp lupulin-resin (courtesy of Warrior, Magnum, Horizon, Tradition, Glacier and Santiam) emerge from our kettle boil; the lupulin-oils (from our friends Tradition, Glacier and Santiam) join the gig via dry-hopping in the conditioning tank and contribute a pleasant herbal-spicy-peppery aromatic character. After a few sips of the pint glass you will find yourself licking from your lips a resinous stickiness that can best be characterized as pungently pleasurable. Here’s to the rainy season!

Rainy Season Black Ale 2011 is available throughout Japan in both draught and bottle (633 ml) form at pubs, restaurants and liquor shops that constitute our wonderful and growing network of Baird Beer retailers. Check out the expanding list of Baird Beer retailers on the retailer’s page of our website: http://bairdbeer.com/en/bairdbeer/retailers.

Individual consumers can order bottles direct from the brewery via our website E-Shop: http://bairdbeer.com/en/shop/.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, Numazu City, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/05/27)

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First-Time Seasonal Release: Double-Dry Belgian Imperial IPA

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Beer is a beverage of almost infinite diversity. No one relishes and celebrates this diversity with more enthusiasm than we, the brewers of Baird Beer. In addition to brewing ten year-round styles of Baird Beer, we busy ourselves with the crafting of several dozens of seasonal specialty brews each year. The newest one on the release docket is a debut beer: Double-Dry Belgian Imperial IPA.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Double-Dry Belgian Imperial IPA (ABV 8.5%):

There was a time, before the dawn of the American craft beer revolution, when pursuing the combination of powerful hopping and Belgian-yeast fermentation would never have been considered by a brewer. That time is no more. Today, high-hopped, Belgian-yeast fermented IPAs are enjoying a season in the sun. Well, the Baird Beer brewers are hitting the beach and joining the party with our own interpretation of this oxymoronic style.

Double-Dry Belgian Imperial IPA derives its name from (a) a double dosing of dry-hops, (b) double (actually triple) fermentation with two different yeast strains — one being our house Belgian ale yeast, and (c) imperial-level rates of hops (100 IBUs in the kettle), gravity (17.8 Plato), and alcohol (8.5% by volume).

This is a brashly bitter, twistedly dry and unapologetically alcoholic brew. It is the sort of offspring you might expect from an orgiastic mating among bottles of Orval, Duvel and Stone Ruination. Thirty percent of the fermentables are provided by Japanese korizato sugar rather than malt, leading to higher alcohol and lighter body. The hops, including those used in dry-hopping, are a combination of American (Warrior, Columbus, Horizon) and European (German Hersbrucker and Slovenian Styrian Golding) varieties. The fermentation is threefold: stage one with our Belgian yeast, stage two with the addition of our Scotch Ale yeast, and stage three in package where the two strains continue the party together.

The party, of course, is still not over. Now you, too, are cordially invited. Stop by a Taproom beginning Friday, May 27 and partake in a glass of the festivities. You can visit a Baird Beer retailing pub or restaurant in your area over the weekend and also check in on the party. For you homebodies, just dial up a bottle order on our E-shop.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

———————————
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Baird Beer, Beer, 観光, Gastronomy, Numazu City, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/04/11)

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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Seasonal Release: Pacific Century Citrus IPA

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We brewers of Baird Beer love the citrus character imparted by certain Pacific hop varieties. We also are fortunate to have access to a wide variety of fresh local citrus fruit here in Numazu. We combine this love and this fortune every year in the brewing of a special seasonal beer: Pacific Century Citrus IPA.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
Pacific Century Citrus IPA 2011 (ABV 7%):

In this 2011 version we have raised the bittering units to 75 and augmented our traditional use of daidai fruit with additions of Shizuoka-grown dekopon fruit. These fruit additions combine with several citrus-character hop varieties (Columbus, Motueka and NZ Cascade) to yield an uniquely fruity and refreshing India Pale Ale.

Pacific Century Citrus IPA 2011 is available in limited quantities in both bottles (633 ml) and kegs. Consumers can purchase bottles direct from our brewery online E-Shop (http://bairdbeer.com/en/shop/).

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

———————————
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
——————————–
Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer, Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/03/03)

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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New Seasonal Releases; Lucky 7 Stout Week
Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The tremendous variety inherent in beer rivals the frequent vagaries inherent in weather. As we approach spring here in Japan, daily changes in the weather are becoming more pronounced; so too are demonstrations of beer diversity. We are pleased to contribute to the beer diversity cause with the release of two unique brews: Second Strike Apple Ale and Wheaty IPA.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Second Strike Apple Ale (ABV 6%): The concept, and the succulent Nagano prefecture apples, for this brisk and refreshing fruited ale — brewed for a second consecutive year, were provided by the Harajuku-based company Alias’ president, Tajima-san. The chief difference with last year’s version is fermentation with our house Belgian ale yeast. The grist consists of a combination of wheat and barley malts, as well as un-malted wheat and Sudakito sugar. Hopping is moderate (25 IBUs) and simple (two additions of two varieties: Perle & Vanguard). Freshly cut, sliced and minced Nagano apples are incorporated in three different stages: (1) Wort kettle , (2) Whirlpool, and (3) Conditioning tank. The flavor result is crisp, tart and effervescent.

Second Strike Apple Ale enjoys an exclusive debut release at our Harajuku Taproom on Friday, March 4. General release happens on Saturday, March 5. It is available both on draught and in bottles (633 ml). Individual consumers can purchase bottles direct from the brewery via our online E-shop.

*Wheaty IPA (ABV 6%): This is another in our line of small-batch ales brewed exclusively for Real Ale dispense via the hand-pumps at our Taproom pubs. As the name implies, this is an India Pale Ale heavily accented with malted wheat (30% of the grist). The hop bitterness is clean (Warrior and Horizon) but the flavor and aroma is fruity (Centennial, Cascade, NZ Cascade). The soft and low-CO2 real ale dispense through our British hand-pumps yields an exquisite imbibing treat.

Wheaty IPA is being poured exclusively at our Taproom pubs beginning Friday, March 4. Please stop in for a pint while quantities last.

Upcoming Taproom Events:
*Lucky 7 Stout Week @ Nakameguro Taproom (March 13 – March 21):

Each of the past several years we have used the Irish national holiday, St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), as an excuse to celebrate the quintessential Irish ale style — Stout. Stout, of course, is a wonderful pitch-black ale that enjoys many stylistic manifestations. We serve up seven different interpretations of Stout during our week-long celebration which we call Lucky 7 Stout Week. This year we will be holding Lucky 7 Stout Week at our Nakameguro Taproom, kicking off at noon on Sunday, March 13 and running through the Japan national holiday, Monday, March 21.

We will be selling special Lucky 7 Stout drink cards throughout the week and purchasing customers who complete the card during the week will be eligible for a raffle of special Baird Beer prizes. The NT kitchen will be serving seven Irish specialty dishes all week to match the stouts. Sayuri and I will be in attendance on March 13 to enjoy Stout, talk Stout, eat Irish food and revel in the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts. More Stout Week details will be forthcoming shortly.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

———————————
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
——————————–
Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer, Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Microbrewery Beer, Numazu City

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2011/02/16)

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
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Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2011 Debut; Barley Wine Beer School @ Nakameguro Taproom

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

It is the time of year when the big bear of the Baird Beer world, Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine, emerges from its hibernal rest in the Baird Brewery cellars. Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2011 will debut, along with its new brand artwork, on Saturday, February 26 (coinciding with the kick-off of our Nakameguro Taproom Barley Wine Beer School event).

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2011 (ABV 9.5%):

Brewed in June 2010 and packaged upon krausening in July, Ganko Oyaji 2011 sports a grist bill consisting of floor-malted Maris Otter and Bohemian Pils, as well as British crystal malt and 10% Japanese red (akato) sugar. This year we lowered the starting gravity somewhat(23.9 Plato), primarily fermented with an American Ale yeast, increased the hop bitterness (75 IBU), and krausened with our house Scottish Ale yeast. The result is a potently complex yet extraordinarily balanced big beer. Ganko Oyaji is an ideal after-dinner or before-bed restorative; it might even be delicious at breakfast too! It promises to condition nicely for months and years to come.

Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2011 will be available on draught at all of our Taproom pubs and at other Baird Beer retailing restaurants beginning Saturday, February 26. Bottles (633 ml) can be purchased direct from our brewery E-Shop and through the fine family of Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan beginning the same day. Vertical tastings of three years of Ganko Oyaji (2008, 2010, 2011) will be possible exclusively at our Nakameguro Taproom. A small number of kegs of the 2008 Ganko Oyaji remain available for retailer purchase.

Upcoming Taproom Events:

*Nakameguro Taproom Barley Wine Beer School (Saturday-Sunday, February 26-27):

This is another in our popular series of Nakameguro Taproom Beer School seminars. Our thematic focus this time will be the historical beer style known as Barley Wine. Two Beer School sessions will be held: an English language version on Saturday, February 26 (3:00 – 5:00 pm) and a Japanese language version on Sunday, February 27 (1:00-3:00 pm). The English language Beer School will be conducted by Baird Beer Lead Brewer, Chris Poel, and Nakameguro Taproom Beer Manager, Marco McFarren. The Japanese language Beer School will be led by Baird Brewer, Tetsuya Kataoka, and Nakameguro Taproom Manager/Chef, Akitsuke Ishikawa. Cost of participation is 3,500 yen and enrollment is limited to 30 people per session. Advanced reservations are required (email: nakameguro-tap@bairdbeer.com or call/visit the NT directly).

During the Beer School, the following Barley Wine ales will be tasted:

Baird Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2008
Baird Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2010
Baird Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2011
Swan Lake Barley Wine (2011 debut version)
Green Flash Barley Wine
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2009
Iwate Kura Barley Wine (wine yeast fermented)
Additionally, Chef Ishikawa-san and his staff will be serving a wonderful light tasting of speciality dishes matched with various of the Barley Wine ales. This is a beer and food event not to be missed. Please contact the Nakameguro Taproom today to reserve you spot.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

———————————
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
——————————–
Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-