Category Archives: Drinks

Beer, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/12/27): Kicking off the New Year Right: Hatsujozo 2013 Imperial Pilsner

December 27, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Kicking off the New Year Right: Hatsujozo 2013 Imperial Pilsner

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

It has become a Baird Beer tradition to greet the dawn of each new year with a special “First Brewed” (Hatsujozo) seasonal specialty beer. At the stroke of midnight on the evening of December 31, we — along with a host of other Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan — pour this commemorative Hatsujozo and share it with our fellow beer enthusiasts in a toast to the New Year.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Hatsujozo 2013 Imperial Pilsner (ABV 6.5%):

This year’s “First Brewed” is a muscular and hoppy pilsner-like lager (we’ll call it an imperial pils)! The grist bill combines floor-malted English Maris Otter and German pilsner malt in almost equal portions, and contains an unique dollop of 10% rye malt. 80 IBUs of hops in the kettle (Magnum, Galena, Motueka, Wakatu, Saaz, Spalter, Tettnanger) followed by two rounds of dry-hopping in the conditioning tank (Motueka, Wakatu, Saaz, Spalter, Tettnanger) leaves no doubt about our passionate commitment to hop character in beer.

Hatsujozo 2013 is available this year both in kegs and bottles (360 ml). Please join as at one of our Taproom pubs (Numazu Fishmarket, Nakameguro or Bashamichi) for fun and festive countdown parties on Monday, December 31. We will be pouring complimentary taster glasses of Hatsujozo 2013 to all patrons for our New Year toast.

Kampai to 2013!

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/12/20): Wishing You a Jubilant Holiday Season!

December 21, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Wishing You a Jubilant Holiday Season!

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Life is a fleeting thing. Each of us is here but a very short time. The older we get, the more clearly we comprehend this inexorable reality. And despite the sometimes awful travails and the always regular monotony of life, it remains a mysteriously beautiful thing. The end-of-the-year holiday season provides wonderful occasion for reflection and appreciation of the joy of living.

At Baird Brewing, 0ur appreciation of this joy is manifested in a celebratory Christmas-New Year season holiday ale which we call Jubilation Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Jubilation Ale (ABV 7.5%):

This malty rich, festively red-hued ale derives its special character primarily from the addition of two wonderful indigenous ingredients: (1) fully ripened Japanse figs (ichijiku) and (2) cinnamon twigs culled from a local Japanese nikki tree. The full bodied character combined with the attendant alcohol strength will warm the flesh just as it brings jubilation to the soul.

Jubilation Ale is available for immediate release in both kegs and bottles (360 ml). It begins pouring at our Taproom taps on Thursday, December 20.

Taproom O-shogatsu Schedules:

*Numazu Fishmarket Taproom: Countdown party December 31. Closed on January 1 and 2. Open for special O-shogatsu service on January 3 (noon to midnight). Resumes normal hours on January 4.

*Nakameguro Taproom: Countdown party December 31. Closed January 1-2. Open for special O-shogatsu service on January 3 (noon to 9:00 pm). Resumes normal hours on January 4.

*Harajuku Taproom: Closed on December 31 (Tokyo countdown party @ Nakameguro). Open for special O-shogatsu service on January 1-4 (noon to 8:00 pm). Resumes normal hours on January 5.

*Bashamichi Taproom: Countdown party December 31. Closed January 1-2. Open for special O-shogatsu service on January 3-4 (noon to 8:00 pm). Resumes normal hours on January 5.Holiday Season Cheers!

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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French Organic Wine Bar & Retailer: La Vigne in Shizuoka City!

December 18, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Shop Manager Hidetaka Satoh/佐藤大高さん & Staff (calling themselves the “Nice-Looking Boy and beautiful Damsel”!)

Service: Very friendly and caring. Great explanations!
Facilities and equipment: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom. Whole establishment non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: French organic wines. Higher grade wine cellar. Drinks and light food at standing bar.

The Japanese love their wines, and French wines in particular!
But they also have a care for their health.
And what’s a more healthy drink than organic wine!

You will find La Vigne very conveniently located right across the street from Shizuoka JR Station North Exit!

It almost looks like a street side cafe back in France!

“自然のワイン/Shizen no Wain” means “Natural/Organic Wines”!

The wine and the producer of the month!

Wine recommendations for coming Christmas!

A suggestion for a present for an important person!
Actually today was exactly the Fourth Anniversary of the opening of La Vigne in the 18th of December 2008!
The mother company is located in Nagoya while the most recent and third shop stands in Higashi Ginza, Tokyo!

The shop was first conceived as wine retailing establishment that offers plenty of organic wines from France.

More suggestions for Christmas!
All purchases can be wrapped as presents for a small fee!

They do offer a lot to eat with those wines: terrine, pate, sauces, jams, olives and the like!

And also plenty of cheese, hams, sausages, and other appetizers you can eat on site if you wish.

Photographs and signatures of the producers whose wines are featured at La Vigne!

The standing bar which has proved to be best investment of the establishment!
Many customers, including many local chefs, taste their wines there before acquiring them by the bottle (s)!

La Vigne also sells some great breads concocted by a local baker that find their way onto the counter more than often!

Great map of French wines to give all information and conversation topics of the day when needed!

Take your time, glass in hand , and take a good look at all the wines!

The wines to be drunk and purchased by the glass at the standing bar regularly change.
You pay your orders, be they wine or food in cash as they come, or you can before leaving either cash or by credit card.

Great explanations for each wine!

My order of the day!
Wines and food can be consumed all day long, but coffee and mineral water is also available!

Plenty of food and snacks available.
No cover charge or extra fees!

If you find a canned food of your liking just take it from the display tables, bring it to the counter and ask the staff to open it for instant consumption as it is or with bread and so on!

LA VIGNE
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 17-2, 1F
Tel/Fax: 054-205-4181
Opening hours: 10:00~22:00 (Monday~Saturday), 12:00~20:00 (Sundays and National Holidays)
Credit Cards OK
Private Parties welcome
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely Non-smoking!

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake: “Homare Fuji” Sake Rice Actively Promoted Locally and Nationally!

December 16, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun

Shizuoka sake brewed with Homare Fuji Rice being tasted at “Shizuoka Green Tea Plaza, Tokyo Prefectural Tokyo Tourism Office in Yuraku-Cho, Tokyo.

On the 13th of December no less than 20 Shizuoka Breweries, including internationally famous Doi (Kaiun) and Hatsukame Breweries, organised a tasting feast in Tokyo at the “Shizuoka Green Tea Plaza, Tokyo Prefectural Tokyo Tourism Office in Yuraku-Cho, to actively promote sake made exclusively with Homare Fuji Sake Rice first developped and grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, a feat noteworthy for its uniqueness in the very traditional world of sake brewing in Japan!

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun.

On the Prefectural scene many breweries are active promoting sake made with Homare Fuji rice such as Kanzawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu) which has been organizes brewery viewing and sake seminars since 2005 on a regular basis! This year no less than 49 sake lovers participated to the latest seminar! Knowing the brewery well, the establishment must have been really crowded!

At least the future of Japanese sake is quite rosy here in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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Shizuoka Sake: A New” Brewery Born: Hiraki Shizuoka Brewery!

December 15, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun,

A”New” sake brewery is born in Shizuoka City!

Why “New” then?

Actually, by Japanese law you cannot/may not obtain a new brewery license. The only way to create/establish a new brewery is to acquire the license from a brewery which has decided to cease business before they give their license back to the government. In fact such a license can be kept indefinitely although the Tax & Excise Bureau do all it can to get it back as soon as possible. Strangely enough, such a rule applies only to sake breweries, brewers and owners…

Hiraki Company in Shizuoka City, a company with roots back in Edo Period, the biggest distributor of large spirits and drinks companies in Shizuoka Prefecture had momentarily moved from Kakegawa City in Shizuoka Prefecture to Okayama Prefecture in 1956 to acquire Hiraki Brewery while the law permitted it. They consequently moved back to Shizuoka City in 1967 to expand their business as the local distributor for big corporate companies producing drinks and spirits. Naturally, they sold their sake brand called Kihei (and still do. “Kihei” actually is the inverted name of “Hiraki”!) in Shizuoka Prefecture and were also very active in offering contracts between the local sake breweries and the big companies in Nada (Kobe area) to produce sake to the latter according to their requirements.

According to them they decided to produce sake again in Shizuoka Prefecture after a 45-year lapse (I think dates are manipulated there, but who am I to say?) after the new sake rice brand, namely “Homare Fuji” was recognized as such by the Shizuoka Prefecture and the Ministry of Agricultre and Forestry.
In 2009 they applied to the Japanese Tax & Excise Bureau after acquiring the license of Sogatsuru Brewery in Kakegawa City which had kept it (they had actually lent it to Hagi No Kura Brewery, presently Suruga Brewery for a while) ever since they stopped all activities more than 10 years ago.
Although you are not supposed to buy it, but just acquire it, I know from reliable sources that Hiraki Company obtained the license for 30,000,000 yen….

On the 1st of November 2012 they obtained permission from the Tax & excise Bureau and starting making sake end of November. They have moreover announced they are brewing real “Shizuoka sake” (although they have admitted they will also produce sake from other brands of sake rice from other Prefectures) with Shizuoka-grown Hoamre Fuji rice, Shizuoka yeast and Shizuoka water from the Abe River basin.

They have officially become members of The Shizuoka Prefecture Brewers Association and their sake will be on display at the next Shizuoka Sake Tasting Fair in March.
I was assured by the Shizuoka Prefecture Brewers Association that they were serious and did not plan to use their new brewery to facilitate sales of their Okayama Brewery sake…

Time will tell…

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Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/12/13): Seasonal Release: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA

December 13, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Craft beer enthusiasts, including us, have a love affair with the hop. It’s character, be it fruity or floral, spicy or herbal, provides good beer its panache. India Pale Ale, of course, is the beer style that reigns in the kingdom of hops. Today, with the craft beer renaissance in full swing, there exist myriad takes on and interpretations of an IPA. We are happy to announce the release of one such Baird version: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA.

New Seasonal Beer Releases:
*Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA 2012 (ABV 6.7%):

We love the flavor of rye malt in beer. It lends a spicy, dry character that we find especially pleasing when combined with large doses of piquantly bitter and pungently aromatic hops. The problem with using significant portions of rye malt in the mash is that it tends to make the wort more viscous and gummy, thus rendering lautering (separation of liquid wort from particle grain material) slow and difficult. This year, in an act of prudence trumping bravado, we dialed down the additions of rye malt to the mash from a nightmarish 50% of the grist last year to a more reasonable 25%. Sure enough, the lauter time was cut back to a more traditional 90 minutes or so, compared with 5 hours previous. We ended our brewer’s nightmare while still preserving the dream flavor combination of peppery rye malt and fruit-forward hops.

This year’s hop bill consists of an all-star lineup of five U.S. varieties (Columbus, Summit, Simcoe, Santiam, Glacier) added in multiple dosings to the kettle boil, the whirlpool, and, but of course, to the conditioning tank for two rounds of dry-hopping. Do you like hops? Do you fancy yourself an IPA drinker? Merry Christmas!

Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA begins pouring at our Taproom pubs today (Thursday, December 13), and is available for immediate shipment to craft beer retailing pubs, restaurants and sakaya throughout Japan.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Senju Brewery-Senju Junmai Ginjyo Genshu Shiboritate

December 11, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senju is a small but remarkable brewery in Iwata City, Western Shizuoka Prefecture, and it is not always easy to get their brews here in Shizuoka City, but for fortunately Matsuzakya Department Store has endeavored to make them known recently!

Since I found this junmai ginjo genshu, meaning it went through through no moderation, be it pure water or pure alcohol, I had the occasion to taste the original sake of the brewery!
Moreover, since the rice was grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, it makes for a truly local sake!

Rice: Shizuoka-groen Gohyakumangoku
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Bottled in November 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Strong and pleasant. Alcohol. Chestnuts. Grilled nuts.
Body: Fluid
Tasting: Very dry attack backed by puissant junmai petillant.
Very pleasant first impression in spite of the high alcohol content warming up the back of the palate.
Complex and fruity. Very difficult to “catch”.
Nutty, dry roasted nuts, yoghurt.
Disappears very quickly on a drier note.
Varies little with food, although tends to take a slight turn to sweetness then.
Very unexpected taste and flavors for a Shizuoka sake.

Overall: An unusual sake for Shizuoka Prefecture, both in approach and taste.
Dry but complex, puissant but elegant, very difficult to catch. Fleetingg, mysterious.
Although macho in approach, will attract ladies in particular for its fleeting character.
Although eminently enjoyable with food it will probably best appreciated on its own slightly chilled.
Could be served as a beautiful aperitif, too!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

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焼酎, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Iwata City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shochu, Tourism

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting; Senju Brewery/Distillery-Wa Ran Nadeshiko/Sho-Chu Carnation

December 10, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senju Brewery in Iwata City is one of the ten sake breweries which also produce shochu in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Their shochu are only of the rice/kome variety but they do come with some rare treats!

This particular shochu is a rare rice shochu limited to one hundred bottles of a shochu which took no less than 8 years to mature!

The bottle with its cute pink squarish glass design is beautiful but the shochu is of the fiery variety at 43 degrees!

But it was certainly worth the 8-year wait!

Rice shochu
Alcohol: 43 degrees
Matured for 8 years. Bottled end of 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent

Aroma: Light and pleasant. Hints of flowers. Alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong attack with very pleasant and fine petillant bubbling on the palate.
Very clean and flowery taste..
Strong but elegant.
Complex and difficult to catch. Plays cat and mouse over the palate enticing you to the next sip.
Hints of pears, flowers and apple.
Strong alcohol tends to surprise you more and more sip by sip.

Overall: Very strong but elegant shochu!
Extravagant in concept and maturing.
Best drunk chilled and straight or on the rocks at the very limit. Otherwise you kill the baby by losing many fleeting aspects.
Best appreciated as a (dangerous) nightcap.
For lovers of heady drinks anywhere in the world, be you a lady or gentleman!
And the design of the bottle is so lovely in a twisted square taping tower made of tinted pink glass!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake tasting: Fujimasa Brewery-Junmai

November 26, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Usually I’m not really keen to acquire “souvenir sets” when it come to sake, but Fujimasa Brewery in Fujinomiya City, whose sake are not easy to buy in Shizuoka City, put out an interesting set I could not resist!

Instead of the difficult to handle one-cup sake they offered their products in 180 ml bottles making it so practical for individual tasting of 3 different sake instead of having to buy the bigger bottles.

Cute design representing the brewery!

You are invited to compare the three different tastes!

The third bottle: Junmai!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in August 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Very dry bananas, almonds
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed by a little junmai petillant.
Very nutty flavors: almonds, macadamia nuts, and faint oranges.
Disappears very quickly with faint notes of oranges and more nuts.
Very easy to drink.
Constantly calls for the next cup.
Stays dry and very smooth with every cup.
Take an even drier turn with food.
Changes little with food but tends to take a back seat then with more oranges and nuts.
Tends to become a little sweeter on the palate when away from food again.

Overall: A junmai obviously designed for food.
Shows little of the characteristics of a junmai but is nonetheless very pleasant and marries well with food.
Even though, being very dry, it could be drunk best as an aperitif. A dry sherry?
Definitely for dry sake lovers!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fujimasa Brewery-Honjozo

November 22, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Cute design representing the brewery!

You are invited to compare the three different tastes!

The second bottle! A honjozo!

Rice milled down to 65%
Alcohol: 15=16 degrees
Bottled in August 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Strong, fruity and spicy. Green apples, melon, almonds and faint notes of banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Well-rounded attack with a strong and pleasant alcohol bak up warming up the palate.
Complex. Dry, fruity and spicy.
Almonds, dark chocolate, chestnuts.
Lingers for a little while before leaving the stage on a dry and spicy note.
Easy to drink on its own away from food in spite of its dry and spicy nature.
Dry almonds make a strong comeback with the second cup.
Varies little with food, persevering with its delicious spiciness. Actually tends to take on a softer turn inside the palate with a wealth of nuts.
Oranges, macadamia nuts, almonds and chestnuts combine for a very pleasant nutty sweetish taste away from food.

Overall: Another sake obviously designed for food, but eminently enjoyable on its own.
A sake one could bring to any izakaya, BBQ or outdoors party!
The spicy nutty taste will surprise and please quite a few, especially for the fact it tends to reveal new facets from the third glass onward!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/11/21): Thanksgiving Day Release: West Coast Wheat Wine 2012

November 21, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Thanksgiving Day Release: West Coast Wheat Wine 2012

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The onset of cooler weather and shorter days announces the arrival of the season for the enjoyment of hearty, warming and complexly potent ales. We are pleased to greet the season with the Thanksgiving Day release of our 2012 version of West Coast Wheat Wine.

New Seasonal Baird Beer Releases:
*West Coast Wheat Wine 2012 (ABV 9.5%):

Wheat Wine is a beer style born on the U.S. West Coast in the 1980s, thought to have been originally brewed at the Rubicon brewery-pub in Sacramento, California. It has as its progenitor the British Barely Wine style. A Wheat Wine, generally, is characterized by a rich and hearty complexity that is lightened and made a touch sprite by a predominantly wheat, rather than barley, malt base. It is a style representative of the irreverent creativity and unrelenting passion that are hallmarks of craft brewing on the West Coast of the United States. Baird West Coast Wheat Wine is crafted in annual homage to the skilled brewing artisans and fearless beer entrepreneurs who have pioneered craft brewing on America’s great West Coast!

This 2012 version of West Coast Wheat Wine contains no character malt whatsoever and thus appears in a wonderfully hazy hue of sunset gold. The flavor is characterized by a deep, layered wheat malt complexity that is punctuated by 80 BUs of clean and crisp hop character (exclusive use of U.S. West Coast hops: Magnum, Galena, Sterling, Perle, Vanguard). At packaging, West Coast Wheat Wine is krausened in order to add further flavor complexity and to produce a piquant but soft all-natural carbonation.

West Coast Wheat Wine 2012 is available for shipment immediately (kegs as well as 360 ml bottles) and begins pouring from our Taproom taps on Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.).

In addition to West Coast Wheat Wine, two new small-batch seasonal brews also will debut at our Taproom pubs this Thursday. One is a handpump-dispensed American-style robust porter (American Porter; 6.1%), which brims with American hop character (Columbus, Simcoe, Cascade) without losing its rich malt opulence. The other (Thanksgiving Harvest Amber Ale; 5.1%) is an autumn foliage-colored ale that combines three malted grains (rye, wheat, barley) to produce a hearty yet intricately nuanced malt character. The hopping features American Glacier, a wonderfully spicy and herbal hop. American Porter and Thanksgiving Harvest Amber Ale are available only on tap and exclusively at the Baird Beer Taproom pubs.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism

Food & Drink Bloggers in Japan (amended November, 21st, 2012)

November 21, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

The number of foreigners and Japanese nationals who write about the food and drinks in Japan in English (or at least answer comments in English) has remarkably increased lately.
I thought it was about time to start some kind of round-up to help people discover these deserving foodies and their blogs!The list below is far from exhaustive, but I’m planning to update and announce it regularly!
Of course if you know more foodies residing in Japan, do please direct them to me and I will introduce them gladly!

HOKKAIDO TRIBE
(Hokkaido Island)
Meishu no Yutaka by Carlin
The Best of Sapporo by Ben!

TOHOKU TRIBE
(Northeastern Japan: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima)
Cooking with Mama Miyuki in Sendai
Slow Food From Japan by Nigel Fodgen in Miyagi Prefecture.

KANTO TRIBE
(Eastern Japan: Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa)
Japan Eat’s Videos
Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton
Watch Japan in Tokyo
Little Japan Mama in Tokyo
Japan Eats (featured on request)
47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities By Sara and Roshni in Tokyo
Eating Out in Tokyo with Dominic Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass by Melinda Joe in Tokyo
Tokyo Foodcast by Etsuko Nakamura in Tokyo
Sake World by John Gauntner in Tokyo: The inernational Reference for Japanese Sake!
Tokyo Terrace by Rachael in Tokyo
Gaijin Tonic in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture
Nonjatta by Chris Bunting in Tokyo
The Soul Of Japan in Kanagawa Prefecture
Sake, kimono and Tabi In Tokyo
Tokyo Kawai, Etc… in Tokyo
Blue Lotus in Tokyo
The Japanese Food Report by Harris Salat in Tokyo
The Sake Chronicles in Tokyo
Watashi to Tokyo by Mari Kanazawa in Tokyo
Japanese Food-Food Lover’s Guide by Yukari Yamamoto in Tokyo
Gaijin Life by a Canadian gentleman in Tokyo
Leo’s Japan Food Blog in Tokyo
Eating Out In Tokyo With Jon
Fugu Tabetai in Tokyo
Japan Style in Tokyo
COCO’s Oriental Kitchen by angela Cooper in Tokyo
Free Online Japanese Food Recipes in Tokyo
Reminiscence in Tokyo
Cooking Japanese Style By Naoko, in Tokyo
Japan Farmers Market in Tokyo by Joan

CHUBU TRIBE
(Central Japan: Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi)
Good Beer & Country Boys in Aichi Prefecture
Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonbayashi in Shizuoka City!
Damonde Life by Matt Ryan in Hamamatsu & Enshu, shizuoka Prefecture
Mangantayon in Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Gourmet, Shizuoka Sake, Shizuoka Sushi, Shizuoka Shochu in Shizuoka Prefecture
Bryan Baird’s Beer & Brewery in Numazu in Shizuoka Prefecture
A Modern Girl from Niigata and all over Japan!

KANSAI TRIBE
(Western Japan: Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Kyoto, Wakayama)
Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
Yellin Yakimono Gallery by Robert Yellin in Shizuoka Prefecture, just moved to Kyoto!
Colorfood Daidokoro in Osaka (Englis & French)
Dominique Corby In Osaka (in French, but can answer and read in English)
Nagaijin in Osaka
Kyoto Foodie in Kyoto
Our Adventures in Japan by K and S Minoo in Osaka
Japan Food Addict by Mai in Kyoto

CHUGOKU
(“Central Country”: Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi)
“Made in Matsue” in Shimane prefecture
Get Hiroshima Blog in Hiroshima
The Wide Island Review, The JET Programme Webzine Of Hiroshima Prefecture (includes food & drink articles)

SHIKOKU
(Shikoku Island: Kagawa, Kochi, Ehime, Tokushima)
Obachan’s Kitchen & Garden Balcony in Kochi Prefecture
Still Clumsy With Chopsticks in Kochi Prfecture (Continuation of Obachan’s Kitchen & Garden Balcony)
Rocking in Hakata by Deas Richardson

KYUSHU
(Kyushu Island: Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Saga, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima)
Finding Fukuoka
Food from Fukuoka, Kyushu and Japan by Fumiko Soda
Fukuoka Sake Guide by Daisuke Ito
Quixotidienne in Kagoshima Prefecture
Christine Molero in Kyushu & elsewhere (French)

OKINAWA
(Okinawa Archipelago)
HWN Pake in Okinawa in Chatan, Okinawa
I’m sorry to say that Nate has just passed away and that his blog has disappeared, but I’ll keep it there as it is in his memory!
Dojo Bar in Naha
Eating Okinawa
Okinawa Hai!
Total Okinawa

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ美食 Drink Bloggers Drinks 静岡 Food Food & Drink Bloggers in Japan Food Bloggers Gastronomes Gastronomy Gourmet Japan Japanese Cuisine Recipes Shizuoka Shizuoka City World Cuisines

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Makino Brewery-Fujisan Junmai Ginjo

November 17, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Makino Brewery might be a small brewery in Fujinomiya City but it is the only in Prefecture calling one one of its brands “Fujisan/Mount Fuji/富士山”!

Their sake are not easy to find in Shizuoka City, but for once I managed to get my hands on their Junmai Ginjo!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Bottled in September 2012

Clarity: very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity and light. Pineapple, green apples
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and smooth attack immediately followed by puissant junmai petillant.
Rapidly disappears on an even drier note.
Fruity and complex. Almond, pears, macadamia nuts.
Ends up on very dry almonds.
Insistently calls for the next cup.
Faint coffee beans appearing later.
Very easy to drink in spite of its very dry nature.
Changes little with food but tends to disappear more quickly then.
Strong comeback by coffee beans away from food.

Overall: In spite of its elevated ginjo status, it is a sake highly enjoyable with food.
Because of its dryness it can be also appreciated at any temperature.
A sake for dry sake lovers, it seemed very attractive to my lady friends!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食酒酒造静岡 Gastronomes Gastronomy Gourmet Japan Japanese Cuisine Japanese Gastronomy sake Sake Breweries Shizuoka City Shizuoka sake World Cuisines

Baird Beer, Beer, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/11/15): Annual Seasonal Release: Country Girl Kabocha Ale

November 17, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Annual Seasonal Release: Country Girl Kabocha Ale

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 11th annual debut on Friday, November 16. This beer is inspired by and brewed for my urbane yet wonderfully country-spirited mother, Sally Eshelman Baird.

*Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2012 (ABV 6.5%):

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 2012 begins pouring from the taps of our Taproom pubs on Friday, November 16. It will debut at other fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants in Japan on Saturday, November 17. Bottles (360 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

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食酒酒造静岡 Gastronomes Gastronomy Gourmet Japan Japanese Cuisine Japanese Gastronomy sake Sake Breweries Shizuoka City Shizuoka sake World Cuisines

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fujimasa Brewery Genkotsu Honjozo

November 17, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Usually I’m not really keen to acquire “souvenir sets” when it come to sake, but Fujimasa Brewery in Fujinomiya City, whose sake are not easy to buy in Shizuoka City, put out an interesting set I could not resist!

Instead of the difficult to handle one-cup sake they offered their products in 180 ml bottles making it so practical for individual tasting of 3 different sake instead of having to buy the bigger bottles.

Cute design representing the brewery!

You are invited to compare the three different tastes!

The brewery design is repeated on the first bottle!
Incidentally the name “genkotsu” means “fist” to describe the “brutal” approach! LOL

Rice milled down to 65%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in August 2012

Clarity: very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Dry and strong. Alcohol. Fruity: custard.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack.
Unusual strong approach for a Shizuoka Prefecture sake.
Strong dry almonds and oranges.
High acidity helping warming up back of the palate.
Lingers only for a while with dry almonds and custard peeking out.
Tends to grow milder with food bringing about faint notes of macadamia nuts, oranges and coffee beans.

Overall: A sake obviously designed as a dry and solid beverage although it tends to grow milder after the initial aggressive impression.
Holds the interesting capacity to first shock the palate into acceptance to finally tame the latter into acceptance and enjoyment by rewarding it with concealed dry and fruity facets.
For the strong and the bold!
Would make for an intriguing marriage with dark chocolate!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食酒酒造静岡 Gastronomes Gastronomy Gourmet Japan Japanese Cuisine Japanese Gastronomy sake Sake Breweries Shizuoka City Shizuoka sake World Cuisines

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