Category Archives: Numazu 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, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/02/08): Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2013 Debut

February 11, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2013 Debut

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The hibernal rest is over. The big bear of the Baird Beer world, Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine, has forced its way out of our brewery cellars and has taken residence in the serving refrigerators of our various Taproom pubs. The pouring begins today (Friday, February 8).

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2013 (ABV 10.5%):

Ganko Oyaji 2013, although identical in alcohol content to the 2012 version, sports both a revised grain and hop bill. To this year’s mash we added portions of rye and amber malt in place of pilsner and caramel malt, thus lessening the sweetness and enhancing the dry spice character of the wort. Once again we increased our hop bittering slightly (up to 90 IBU from last year’s 80) and we changed our blend of hops, this year combining the following varieties: Columbus, Warrior, Nugget, Summit and NZ Cascade. The result is a more pronounced hop character in terms of flavor, bitterness and aroma. As always, we krausened at packaging to produce a robust secondary fermentation and totally natural carbonation.

Ganko Oyaji is an ideal after-dinner or before-bed restorative. It promises to condition nicely for months and years to come. It is available for immediate shipment (bottles and kegs) to Baird Beer retailers throughout 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

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/01/23): Cold Winter Season Refreshment: Teutonic Ale and Winter Wit

January 23, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Cold Winter Season Refreshment: Teutonic Ale and Winter Wit

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

All of the hullabaloo in the winter beer season is paid to the potent lagers and warming ales of the beer world. That is all well and good, but there remains a place for heartily refreshing brews even at the height of the winter chill. We are proud to release today two such examples of thirst-quenching winter beer refreshment: Teutonic Ale and Winter Wit.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Teutonic Ale (6%):

This is a fiercely flavorful ale brewed exclusively with German malt (Pilsner and Munich) and German hops (Magnum, Tradition, Spalter, Tettnanger, Hersbrucker). It is bold in its malt makeup and unabashed in its hop character. It is a beer imbued with the strong and courageous spirit of the ancient Germanic people, the Teutons. Prost!

*Winter Wit (6.2%):

Witbier is a Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with a high proportion of un-malted wheat from which it derives a whitish color. Typically it is a light, tart, crisp and refreshing ale of low-alcohol strength. Baird Winter Wit is a heartier (15.4 plato) and stronger (6.2% abv) cold-season take on this classic Belgian beer style.

Our grist is a blend of un-malted and malted wheat, Pilsner and floor-malted Maris Otter, with touchesof carahell (adding body and color). The hopping is light and performed with a combination of New Zealand (Wakatu), Czech (Saaz), Slovenian (Styrian Golding) and German (Tradition) varieties. A modest addition of local Kinkan fruit imbues the beer with that quintessentially Belgian je ne sais quois character. The magic occurs when this ingredient combination is then fermented with our Belgian yeast strain.

The result is a pleasantly tart and spicy, sprightly carbonated ale with a hazy golden hue upon which sits a billowing head of virgin-white foam. The warmth comes in the finish, just enough to furbish without interfering with the refreshment. Winter has never tasted so glorious!

Both Winter Wit and Teutonic Ale are available for immediate release in kegs as well as bottles (360 ml).

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/01/16): Seasonal Release: Imperial Wheat Porter

January 15, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Imperial Wheat Porter

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Strength, innovation, tradition. These are three words commonly associated with the artisanal beers of modern craft brewers. They perfectly describe the winter seasonal ale we are releasing today: Imperial Wheat Porter.

New Baird Seasonal Beer Releases:
*Imperial Wheat Porter (ABV 7%):

Porter is a traditional dark ale dating back to the 18th century where it was commonly brewed in London. It was the hearty and malty beverage of the laboring classes. It was a barley malt based ale, however. Our innovation is to feature wheat as the primary malt ingredient (using three varieties in addition to un-malted roast wheat — base wheat, caramel wheat, chocolate wheat). And to render it a suitably warming libation for enjoyment on a frigid winter evening, we up the starting gravity (to 17.7 plato), thereby increasing the alcohol content ( to 7%).

Imperial Wheat Porter is a fine example of the many unique ales and lagers available to today’s beer drinkers; ones that sit at the intersection of strength, innovation and tradition. Enjoy!

Imperial Wheat Porter is draught-only. It is available for immediate release.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, 美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2013/01/11): Seasonal Release: Dark Sky Imperial Stout

January 11, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Dark Sky Imperial Stout

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Happy New Year! We welcomed the dawn of 2013 with a lovely Imperial Pilsner (Hatsujozo 2013); we continue in the same celebratory mood with today’s release of another boldly characterful brew: Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2013.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2013 (9%):

This foreboding stout is a beer lover’s winter dream. It is pitch-black in color, unctuous in body, elusively complex in flavor, warming in alcohol and piquantly hoppy. This 2013 version is different from previous primarily in two respects: (1) more crystal malt in the grist and less kokuto sugar (lowering the attenuation somewhat, beefing up the body and contributing flavor notes of toffee and caramel), and (2) a totally revamped hop regime in which stars two of our favorite New Zealand hops — Nelson Sauvin and NZ Cascade. The hop character is brisker and brighter than was the case when we hopped primarily with floral and earthy European varieties. As with all our big beers, we krausen at packaging to produce a secondary fermentation, natural carbonation and continued flavor evolution in bottle or keg. If you want to take the nip out of winter, this is your brew!

Dark Sky Imperial Stout is available for immediate release both in kegs and bottles (360 ml) and is pouring from the taps of each of our Baird Beer Taproom pubs. And by stopping into a Taproom, you will be in for an additional beer treat — fresh casks of a special small-batch real ale pulled through our handpumps which features exclusive hopping with Cascade (and some Magnum) hops grown organically in the home garden of our draught beer manager, Chris Madere. Chris’ Garden Cascade Hop Ale (ABV 4.9%) is a light and fragrant session ale brewed with just base malt (barley and wheat), Chris’ Japan garden hops, and soft Numazu water. Simple is often best! Come and taste for yourself.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

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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

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/11/28): Seasonal Release: Bakayaro! Ale

December 1, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Bakayaro! Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The end of 2012 is in sight; the bonenkai-Christmas-shogatsu holiday season is upon us. For all of us beer enthusiasts, there is much to celebrate — it simply is a wonderful time in the world to be a lover of flavorful beer. Yet much else in the world is not glorious nor celebratory. In fact, no one could be blamed for feeling a good deal of angst with the state of the world. Fortunately, however, in this blossoming time of beer diversity and flavor, there exist ale and lager antidotes to these feelings of frustration. We are pleased to release today a Baird version of one such brew: Bakayaro! Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Bakayaro! Ale 2012 (ABV 8.5%):

This insolent, snotty and mean-spirited brew is pungently hoppy and wickedly strong. High in malt gravity (18.0 Plato), bitter in hoppiness (90 IBU), aggressive in aroma (double dry-hopping with five varieties: Nugget, Summit, Nelson Sauvin, NZ Cascade, 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 2012 is available both on draught and in bottles (360 ml), which can be purchased direct from the brewery E-Shop or through one of the fine Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan.

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

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

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/11/01): Autumn 2012 Release: Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale

November 1, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Autumn 2012 Release: Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The wait is over. Today we are releasing from our cellars the 2012 version of Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale! You should be able to find pints on draught at your favorite Baird Beer drinking establishment beginning Friday, November 2 (and at our own Taproom pubs beginning today — Thursday, November 1). Bottles (360 ml) too are available through our network of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan.

New Seasonal Baird Beer Releases:
*Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale 2012 (ABV 7.5%):

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!

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/10/23): Autumn Seasonal Releases

October 23, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Autumn Seasonal Releases

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Unlike industrial beer, where summer reigns supreme, craft beer truly is a beverage of all seasons. That said, fall — with its crisp and brisk weather — strikes us as a quintessentially good season for the enjoyment of the robustly full-flavored ales that typify craft beer. We are excited to announce today’s release of three such autumn ales: Big Red Machine Fall Classic Ale, Son of Rising Strong Pale Ale, and Autumn of the Beach Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Big Red Machine Fall Classic Ale (ABV 6%):

To baseball fans, October means World Series (also known as the “Fall Classic”) time. To me, the annual Fall Classic invariably brings back boyhood memories of watching and rooting for the great “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati teams of 1975 and 1976 World Series fame. Big Red Machine Fall Classic Ale was brewed initially in 2005 as a 30-year tribute to the Cincinnati Reds World Series championship team of 1975 (they beat the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic 7-game series). We continue to brew it annually because it is such a fine beer and it is the perfect libation to enjoy while taking in the Fall Classic. I was hoping for a Reds appearance in this year’s Fall Classic but, alas, those hopes were dashed by a tenacious San Francisco Giants team.

Big Red Machine Fall Classic Ale is brawny in the depth and richness of its malt character, and balanced beautifully by a spicy and sprite hop essence. Much as the rare combination of power and finesse was a hallmark of the Big Red Machine on the field, so too is it a hallmark of the Big Red Machine in the pint glass!

Big Red Machine Fall Classic Ale is available on draught at all of our Taproom pubs as well as at other select Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan. It also is available in bottles (360 ml) for purchase direct from our brewery e-shop or from one of the many fine Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan.

*Son of Rising Strong Pale Ale (ABV 6%):

Son of Rising is the strong-willed offspring of Rising Sun. He is bold and boisterous (double-dry-hopped with four citrus-laden varieties: Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, NZ Cascade); but he is no rebel. He is approachable in his balance, nuanced in his depth of character. He is a dutiful son who brings much satisfaction to his father.

Come visit a Taproom and introduce yourself. Son of Rising is a small-batch seasonal and available only on draught at one of our Taproom pubs.

*Autumn on the Beach Ale (ABV 5%):

This small-batch red ale is brewed with a combination of Bohemian floor-malted pilsner barely and German Munich malt. It is hopped delicately with a unique varietal combination: American Magnum, German Hersbrucker and New Zealand Wakatu. It is light and refreshing for a malty red ale — the type that would be enjoyable while sitting on the beach in Numazu on a sunny fall afternoon.

Autumn on the Beach Ale is available only as real ale on hand-pump, and exclusively at our Baird Beer Taproom pubs. Stop in for a pint while the pouring lasts!

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/10/12: Fall Seasonal Releases: Biere du Japon and 08 Hop Harvest Ale

October 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Fall Seasonal Releases: Biere du Japon and 08 Hop Harvest Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

I am excited to announce today’s release of two debut seasonal brews: Biere du Japon and 08 Hop Harvest Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Biere du Japon (4.7%):

One of the prominent beer styles associated with Belgian brewing culture is Witbier, or white beer. Hoegaarden White is the quintessential modern version of the style. Witbiers are moderate gravity beers brewed with generous additions of unmalted wheat and more often than not spiced, most generally with coriander and orange peel. When brewed artfully they are sprite and extremely quenching beers.

Baird Biere du Japon is our Japanese take on this classic Belgian beer style. We mash with an ample quantity of domestic unmalted wheat combined with wheat, rye and pilsner malt. We only lightly hop the kettle boil with 15 IBUs of two varieties: Vanguard and Sterling. Following fermentation with our Belgian witbier yeast strain, we add the indigenous magic — lightly crushed sansho seeds and cut whole New Summer Orange fruit from nearby Izu.

The result is a wonderfully delicate, nuanced flavor that is supremely refreshing. Stop in to a Taproom pub for a taste today. Biere du Japon is available in both kegs and bottles.

*08 Hop Harvest Ale (5.5%):

2008 was the year of the dreaded hop shortage. Hop prices went through the roof but most brewers were happy just to obtain a sufficient supply. We were down to our last supplies of a few varieties from this most notorious hop harvest crop and our idea was to concoct a final hop taste of 2008.

08 Hop Harvest Ale is a malty brown ale with a brisk hop punch. We combine four American hop varieties from the 2008 harvest to achieve this punch: Perle, Glacier, Vanguard, Sterling. Generous additions of Caramel and Chocolate malt round out the flavor imparting toasted and roasted notes.

08 Hop Harvest Ale is draught only. It can be enjoyed at any one of our Taproom pubs as well as at other Baird Beer retailing establishments in Japan.

Upcoming Beer Events:
*Killer B Party (October 27, 4-8 PM):

Our friends at Nagano Trading are proudly sponsoring their second annual Killer B Party at the YC&AC in Yokohama. The Animal House of Japan beer parties proudly features Beer (20 serve-yourself taps featuring Nagano Trading imports from the U.S., Baird Beer, Brimmer Beer and others), Bowling (don’t go up against Andrew after he has had a couple!), Buffet (always a wonderful spread) and more.

Email reservations can be made at: all@naganotrading.com. Location directions can be found at: http://www.ycac.or.jp/club/map.html.

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/10/01): Seasonal Release: Fall Fest Lager

October 1, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Fall Fest Lager

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The transformation of summer into fall is my favorite seasonal change. In Japan, it seems that this transformation more often than not is blown in through the furious force of a typhoon. This year the transformation has been completed by Typhoon #17 which blew through Honshu last night. We awoke in Shizuoka prefecture this morning to a clear powder-blue sky and a crisply cool, gentle and dry breeze. Autumn has arrived!

In celebration of this season of harvest, the Baird Brewery is proud to release Fall Fest Lager.

New Seasonal Baird Beer Release:
*Fall Fest Lager (5.3%):

Richly malty and smoothly soft, this amber-colored lager, reminiscent of the fall foliage, is our take on a classic Vienna lager. It is the beer I will be sipping in the five o’clock hour sitting at the window counter of the Fishmarket Taproom, gazing out at the fall sunset while nibbling on pretzels and chatting with my friend, the Carpenter.

Fall Fest Lager is available for immediate release in both kegs and bottles (360 ml).

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/09/12): Seasonal Release: Pacific Porter

September 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Pacific Porter

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

While fall has not fully arrived here yet, it most certainly is “in the air.” We are welcoming its arrival early, today, with the release of a fantastic seasonal brew: Pacific Porter.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Pacific Porter (ABV 7.7%):

This is the Baird Beer Pacific ocean version of a Baltic Porter (a strong dark beer fermented with lager yeast that has enjoyed historical popularity in Baltic sea region countries). The color is deep copper-brown, almost black. The aroma is soft, round and fruity with a hint of chocolate. The body is chewy but not thick. Subtly sweet flavors of caramel and milk chocolate are highlighted magnificently by an underbelly of nut and pit fruit character. The overall impression is one of smoothness and balance.

Pacific Porter is draught-only (no bottles this year). It is available for immediate release in Japan. It begins pouring from our Taproom taps tonight.

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/08/29): Three Late Summer Seasonal Releases

August 29, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Three Late Summer Seasonal Releases

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

As we move into September, summer begins to fade into fall — though it certainly doesn’t feel like that yet. As an antidote to the lingering late-summer heat, we are happy to announce the immediate release of three thirst-quenching seasonal brews: Japan Tale Ale 2012, Baird Belgian Tripel, and Plum Session Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Japan Tale Ale 2012 (ABV 5%):

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 2012 is now pouring from the taps of each of our Baird Beer Taproom pubs and will be available both on draught and in 360 ml bottles at Baird Beer retailing pubs and liquor shops throughout Japan.

*Baird Belgian Tripel (ABV 8.5%):

Belgian-style Tripels are stealthily potent golden ales — rich yet briskly refreshing — that originated in the historical context of monastic brewing in Belgium. The quintessential example of this style, and one of my favorite Belgian ales, is the iconic monastic beer, Westmalle Tripel.

The Baird take on this glorious style incorporates an all-base malt grist bill of floor-malted Maris Otter and Bohemian Pilsner as well as a blend Japan, German and English wheat. Kettle gravity is strengthened by a generous addition of Japanese sudakito and korizato sugars. The hopping rate is moderate (25 IBUs) and includes the floral-spicy varieties Sterling, Saaz and Styrian Golding. Fermentation is warm (24-25 C) and happily carried out by our Belgian witbier-derived yeast strain. Apparent Attenuation is high (88.5%) and thus the alcohol content is strong. As per our custom with high-alcohol beers, we krausen at packaging to produce a secondary fermentation and natural carbonation in keg or bottle.

Baird Belgian Tripel is draught only. It is pouring at our Taproom pubs beginning today and is available for immediate release to all fine beer establishments in Japan. Please contact Kojima-san to place an order.

*Plum Session Ale (ABV 4.1%):

What should a brewer do when unexpectedly receiving a bundle of perfectly ripe, freshly harvested local plums? After eating one or two, he should formulate a session-beer recipe that allows the softly sweet-tart essence of the plums free play; and then he should fire up the mash tun and get busy.

Our diligence in early July has yielded this wonderul late-August beer harvest. Come visit a Taproom today and help us to enjoy the fruit of this harvest. Plum Session Ale is being served as real ale on hand-pump and exclusively at our Baird Beer Taproom pubs.

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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,