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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #18

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Lest anyone question our determination to fully quench your summer thirst, we are releasing three more beat-the-heat seasonal beers: Export Lager, Queen & Country Pale Ale and Asian Beauty Biwa Ale.

(1) Export Lager (ABV 5.3%):

Brewed in the tradition of Dortmund-style export lagers, Baird Export Lager combines a huge depth of flavor with a brisk and refreshing character. Less fragrant in hop character but brawnier in malt body than a pilsner, Baird Export Lager is a supreme thirst quencher. Drink it side by side our Cool Breeze Pils and your tastebuds will experience a demonstration in subtle flavor differentiation that simply can’t be conveyed in words.

(2) Queen & Country Pale Ale (ABV 5.1%):

The heritage of the Pale Ale / Bitter style belongs to the British. American craft brewers have irreverently taken over the style with a boldly, and generally citrusy, re-interpretation. Baird Rising Sun Pale Ale slots into the irreverent American re-interpretation category. Queen & Country, on the other hand, is our tip of the hat to the British forerunners. Darker in color, earthier in hop aroma and more noticeably malty in body than Rising Sun, Queen & Country Pale Ale is a pintful of pleasurable beer history. Once again, a direct taste comparison between the two is a better lesson in Beer tasting 101 than we could ever hope to provide in words.

(3) Asian Beauty Biwa Ale (ABV 5.1%):

Biwa is “the small, yellow, edible, plum-like fruit of the loquat tree.” We had no idea what is was until our partner-friend-carpenter, Nagakura-san, brought some in last year for us to taste and then brew with. It is an extremely subtle fruit that harmonizes sweetness with tartness. Biwa Ale is krauesened at packaging and the character in the glass is a spritzy, effervescent and delicately firm one — like a true Asian Beauty!

All three brews are being poured from the taps of our Taprooms in Numazu and Nakameguro. Export Lager and Asian Beauty Biwa Ale are available in both draught and bottle (633 ml) at fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and liquor shops throughout Japan. Queen & Country Pale Ale is draught only and available in extremely small quantities.

Cheers!

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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I will never be able to praise Bryan Baird in Numazu City enough for contributing so much to beer and micro-brewing in Japan!

This is only my second “official tasting”: “Angry Boy Brown Ale”
(I made a point not to read Bryan’s own comments. There might be quite a discrepancy between the two of us!)

Bryan Baird Brewery: Angry Boy Brown Ale
Draught/nama Beer
Ingredients: Barley Malt, barley, hops, yeast.
Alcohol: 6 degrees
Contents: 300 ml

Clarity: smoky
Colour: rich dark brown-orange
Foam: very long head, great long-lived foam
Aroma: Oranges. Yeast. Strong and sharp
Taste: Comparatively shart tail. Tangy oranges lingering on at the back of the palate. Steady. Solid. Oranges, lemons, grapefruits.Dry. Welcome acidity.

Overall: Another beer suited for any food, especially meat, sausages and the like. Can be appreciated cold in summer on its own, though. Refreshing and very satisfying. Funnily enough I enjoyed eating Carr’s Whole wheat Crackers with it!

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #17

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The enduring persistence of this year’s rainy season at last has abetted and the sultry heat and torporific humidity of a Japan summer are upon us. Fear not, though, for the most refreshing and revitalizing antidote to this seasonal languor is being released today: Baird Cool Breeze Pils.

Cool Breeze Pils 2008 (ABV 5.0%):

Bohemian in style, cleanly malty in body, and coquettishly floral in aroma, 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 dry-hopped in tank, unfiltered, and re-fermented and naturally carbonated in package where it has undergone a 6-month maturation. The result, we believe, pays handsome tribute to the glorious history of this storied lager beer style.

Cool Breeze Pils is now pouring from the taps of our Taprooms in Numazu and Nakameguro, as well as at other fine beer establishments throughout Japan. 633 ml bottles also are available for purchase direct from our estore (www.bairdbeer.jp) and through our fine network of Baird Beer retailer liquor stores in Japan.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #16

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The Fishmarket Taproom opened its doors for business on Saturday July 20, 2000. In the ensuing eight years many pints have been poured to an extraordinarily diverse and interesting group of patrons, many of whom have become intimate friends and all of whom we are proud to have an association. We will be celebrating the Fishmarket Taproom’s 8-year anniversary during this upcoming three-day holiday weekend (Saturday, July 19 – Monday, July 21). Event highlights are listed below.

Fishmarket Taproom 8-Year Anniversary Celebration (Saturday, July 19 – Monday, July 21) (Noon to Midnight each day):

*Fruit Beer Festival:
The use of fresh, whole fruit as an integral beer ingredient has become one of the hallmarks of Baird seasonal brewing. We have reserved kegs of fourteen styles of recently crafted fruit beer just for this special event. The fruit ales that will be poured during the festival weekend are:

(1) Fishmarket Taproom 8-Year Ale (Citrus IPA made with natsumikans)
(2) The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale (including the tapping at noon on Saturday of the first-ever wood cask-conditioned version)
(3) Mikan Wheat Stout
(4) Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale
(5) Sweet Citrus Stout
(6) Temple Garden Yuzu Ale
(7) Daidai Dark Wheat Ale
(8) Yamanashi Budo Ale
(9) Yamanashi Apple Ale
(10) Japan Tale Ale 2007 (brewed with ume)
(11) Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2007
(12) Strawberry Milk Stout 2007
(13) Snow Storm Strong Dark Ale (brewed with strawberries and Belgian yeast)
(14) Saison Sayuri (brewed with kinkan and natsumikan peels)

All Baird Beer during the festival (including these fruit ales) will be available by the pint for 700 yen, the glass for 500 yen and tasters at 250 yen.

*1000-Yen Buffet:
We will be serving a hedonistic buffet of wonderful beer fare each and every day of the festival (noon until 10:00 pm). Best yet, it is 1000 yen per person, eat until you can’t see!

*Special Fruit Beer Cuisine:
Our crack team of chefs (Takanaka Tencho, Shoko-san and Sayuri) are busy as I write concocting a phenomenal menu board of fruit beer inspired cuisine. Each of these special a la carte items will be designed to pair with one of our festival fruit ales.

*Sidewalk Barbecue:
We will be grilling some wonderful Numazu specialties downstairs on the sidewalk each festival day from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. Order you beer upstairs in a plastic “bura-bura” cup and enjoy it outside in the glorious seaside summer weather while feasting on sumptuous sticks of seafood barbecue.

*Brewery Tours:
We will be conducting tours of our Fishmarket Brewery each festival day. On Saturday and Sunday, tours will commence at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. On Monday, one tour will be conducted at 3:00 pm. The tours will leave from the Fishmarket Taproom at the appointed times (you may, of course, bring your beers with you as the brewery is only a short 3 minute walk). Reservations are not required. Anyone is welcome.

Please plan on joining us for what promises to be one hell of a celebration!

Cheers!
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE