Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #19

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The grand opening of our new taproom in Harajuku (Harajuku Taproom) is just around the corner. We open for business at noon on Saturday, August 8.

The Harajuku Taproom is a yakitori-izakaya style beer pub inspired by our love of the casual Japanese dining and drinking (and they always go together) experience. The decor is the simple and natural one of wood and stone which has been rendered even more magnificent by the craftsmanship of our world-class carpenter, Mitsuo Nagakura (everything is hand-made by him, including the furniture!). The food too is simple and natural, and fresh! Chef-manager, Tetsuya Naruoka, will be manning the grill with skill and his consummate enthusiasm. The beer will be Baird and it will be served impeccably. The house Harajuku Ale will be a real ale poured from a handpump and is a slight variation of the European Summer Ale we released earlier in the year. The Harajuku Taproom Celebration Ale is a kind of American-style IPA hopped to the heavens and frothing at the prospect of being enjoyed in the company of a plate of perfectly grilled Japanese skewers. As for the location, it is both convenient and fun (from Harajuku JR station walk down Takeshita-dori about 100 meters and turn left at the first intersecting road; walk 30 meters to the end of that road and the Harajuku Taproom will be staring at you from the right). Harajuku Taproom details are below:

Harajuku Taproom
1-20-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0001
Tel/Fax: 03-6438-0450
email: harajuku-tap@bairdbeer.com
Business Hours: Monday-Friday (5:00 pm – Midnight), Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays (Noon – Midnight)

The beer fun is not limited to the Harajuku Taproom, however. Bottles (633 ml) of Harajuku Taproom Celebration Ale will be available through the fine family of Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan beginning Friday, August 7.

Harajuku Taproom Celebration Ale (ABV 6.5%):

This bold and pungently American-style IPA is for hop lovers only. Loads of BUs lend a boastful bitterness exceeded in arrogance only by the aromatics of what can best be described as a hop oil orgy. Cheers to Harajuku!

Lastly, the Baird Brewery is pleased to announce today’s release of yet another unique annual summer seasonal beer: Asian Beauty Biwa Ale.

Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2009 (ABV 6.0%):

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-farmer, Nagakura-san, brought some in two years ago for us to taste and then brew with. It is an extremely subtle fruit that harmonizes sweetness with tartness. Asian Beauty Biwa Ale is coyly fruity, spritely effervescent and yet delicately firm — like a true Asian Beauty! It promises to be a superb August heat and humidity tamer.

Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2009 is being sold in 633 ml bottles by fine Japanese liquor stores and is available on draught, beginning Friday, August 7, at our Taproom pubs as well as at other Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants in Japan.

Looking forward to seeing you either this weekend or soon thereafter at the Harajuku Taproom.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #18

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The sultry heat and torporific humidity of a Japan summer are heavily upon us. Fret not, though, for the most refreshing and revitalizing antidote to this seasonal languor is being released tomorrow: Baird Cool Breeze Pils 2009.

Cool Breeze Pils 2009 (ABV 5.5%):

Brewed annually, Cool Breeze Pils is Bohemian in style, cleanly malty in body, coquettishly floral and spicy in aroma, and crisply dry in its snappy bitter finish. Cool Breeze Pils registers on the imbiber like a fresh ocean breeze does on the perspiring body of a mid-afternoon sunbather. Cool Breeze Pils is 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 begins pouring from the taps of our Taprooms in Numazu and Nakameguro, as well as at other fine beer establishments throughout Japan, on Friday, July 24. 633 ml bottles also are available for purchase through our fine network of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan. Also, we have lagered a small portion of bottles from the 2008 batch of Cool Breeze Pils for vertical taste comparison. We highly recommend this fun and instructive method of comparison.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #17

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The world began accelerating toward the Pacific Century with the economic takeoff of Japan that launched in the early 1960s. The general economic and socio-cultural impact of this emergence of Pacific Basin societies hardly needs mention. In our niche world of beer, this is the Pacific Century also. The reorientation of the beer world from the Atlantic to the Pacific began in full measure in the 1980s with microbeer movement that kicked off on the shores of America’s west coast. This movement is building force in Japan and throughout East Asia like a slow-forming tsunami. Today, Baird Brewing releases one symbol of the coming Pacific Beer storm: Pacific Century Ale.

Pacific Century Ale (ABV 6.5%):

The stylistic genesis of Pacific Century Ale is a classic English India Pale Ale transformed into an American west coast-style IPA through the use of pungently aggressive pacific northwest hop varities (Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo). Additions of the freshly squeezed juice and shaved peels of the Japanese Amanatsu citrus fruit (from the garden-orchard of the brewery’s next door neighbor, Otani-san) make this unique IPA a Pacific Century Ale.

Pacific Century Ale will be available on draught at our Taprooms and at fine restaurants and pubs throughout Japan beginning Thursday, July 16. 633 ml bottles are available for purchase through the fine family of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan. Supplies are limited so order quickly!

Fishmarket Taproom 9-Year Anniversary Celebration (July 18 – 20):

We will be celebrating the 9-year birthday of our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom on the three-day holiday weekend of Saturday, July 18 through Monday, July 20. We will be open each day from noon until midnight. Highlights of the weekend festivities include:

(1) Baird Fruit & Beer Festival (Pints 700 yen; Half-Pints 500 yen; Tasters 250 yen):

The use of fresh, whole fruit as an integral beer ingredient has become one of the hallmarks of Baird seasonal brewing. The following fruited ales will be available for tasting during the festival:

*9-Year Anniversary Ale (Dekopon Ale) (ABV 5.5%)
*Pacific Century Ale (Amanatsu) (ABV 6.5%)
*Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale 2009 (Natsumikan) (ABV 5.5%)
*Mikan India Pale Ale (Mikan) (ABV 8.0%)
*Saison Sayuri 2009 (Daidai) (ABV 5.5%)
*Carpenter’s Mikan Ale 2009 (Mikan) (ABV 6.7%)
*Asian Beauty Biwa Ale 2008 (Biwa) (ABV 5.5%)
*Japan Tale Ale 2008 (Ume) (ABV 6.1%)
*Yamanashi Sumomo Ale 2008 (Sumomo) (ABV 5.6%)
*Jubilation Ale 2007 (Ichijiku) (ABV 6.5%)
*Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2007 (Kabocha) (ABV 5.5%)

(2) Fishmarket Taproom Buffet (1,500 yen per person; all-you-can-eat); Sidewalk Barbecue (3:00 – 7:00 PM each day) (kushi-yaki skewers 100 – 200 yen per):

Our chef, Michiru, possesses amazing culinary skill and this beer-inspired buffet is not to be missed. We will be grilling some wonderful kushi-yaki 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 sunshine while feasting on sumptuous sticks of barbecue.

(3) Baird Brewery Tours:

We will conduct brewery tours twice a day, departing from the Fishmarket Taproom and 2:00 and 4:00 pm. No sign-up necessary.

(4) Live Shows (Music & Magic):

Some local Numazu talent will be contributing to our weekend celebration with live acoustic musical performances on Saturday evening (6:30 – 9:00 pm) and Monday afternoon (2:00 – 4:00 pm). An entertaining magic show will be staged Sunday evening (beginning around 6:00 pm)

We look forward to celebrating the 9-year birthday of the Fishmarket Taproom together with each and every one of you.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #16

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Today we celebrate the 2009 release of a Baird Beer summer seasonal classic: Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale.

A summer mikan (“natsumikan”) is a grapefruit-like citrus fruit that is tart and sweetly sour in flavor and gloriously aromatic. The only fruit to make it through the doors of the Baird Brewery, of course, is fresh whole fruit recently plucked from the land. Our summer mikans are Shizuoka-grown, right in the Heda orchard of our carpenter-partner-friend, Mitsuo Nagakura. The bounty of fruit is painstakingly hand-processed by the Baird Brewery team before its introduction both on the hot-side (during wort production) and the cold-side (right into the conditioning tank along with a dosage of dry hops).

Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale 2009 incorporates a wheat accented grist bill that compliments our workhouse malt — Crisp floor-malted Maris Otter. The hopping is all-citrus and all-American (Simcoe, Centennial, Amarillo). The alcohol is moderately strong, around 5.5% ABV. The quenching result is summer paradise in a glass.

Draught Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale is now available at the Fishmarket Taproom, the Nakameguro Taproom and fine Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants throughout Japan. Bottles (633 ml) too are available for purchase through Baird Beer retailing liquor shops and direct from the brewery.

Reminder:

Fishmarket Taproom 9-Year Anniversary Celebration (July 18 – 20):

We will be celebrating the 9-year birthday of our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom on the three-day holiday weekend of Saturday, July 18 through Monday, July 20. Highlights of the weekend festivities include:

*Baird Fruit & Beer Festival
*1,500 yen all-you-can-eat beer-inspired buffet (our new chef, Michiru, has hit the ground running and this promises to be an extraordinary treat)
*Baird brewery tours twice a day (2:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
*Outdoor yaki-tori grilling below the Taproom (everyday, 3:00 – 7:00 pm)
*Saturday evening live music
*Sunday evening magic show

Please mark your calendar and plan a festive summer trip to idyllic Numazu for what promises to be a great beer bonanza! More detailed beer and event information will be forthcoming very shortly.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #14

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Harajuku Taproom:

The craft beer rumor mill has been rife with whispers of a new Tokyo-area Taproom. The scuttlebutt, it turns out, is true. Baird Brewing will be opening its second Tokyo Taproom in a lovely area of Harajuku this coming August (Saturday, August 8 is the hoped-for grand opening date). The Harajuku Taproom will be a sort of kushi-yaki beer bar with great grilled skewers, 15 Baird Beer taps and two Baird Beer real ale handpumps. 35 to 40 seats will be mostly counter seats with the exception of a sofa area and one large table. Specific details regarding operating hours and other matters will be announced shortly.

Also, in conjunction with this business expansion, we are on the lookout for good personnel. It you are an individual who is passionate about a career in the craft beer-restaurant industry, speak Japanese at an adequate level and possess a Japan work visa, please send along a cover letter and resume to: sayuri@bairdbeer.com. We are hiring for both the Harajuku and Nakameguro Taprooms.

Fishmarket Taproom 9-Year Anniversary Celebration (July 18 – 20):

We will be celebrating the 9-year birthday of our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom on the three-day holiday weekend of Saturday, July 18 through Monday, July 20. Highlights of the weekend festivities include:

*Baird Fruit & Beer Festival
*1,500 yen all-you-can-eat beer-inspired buffet (our new chef, Michiru, has hit the ground running and this promises to be an extraordinary treat)
*Baird brewery tours twice a day (2:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
*Outdoor yaki-tori grilling below the Taproom (everyday, 3:00 – 7:00 pm)
*Saturday evening live music

Please mark your calendar and plan a festive summer trip to idyllic Numazu for what promises to be a great beer bonanza! More detailed beer and event information will be forthcoming in an upcoming bulletin.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #14

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The rainy season has arrived. This is not, of course, bad news for the Japan beer enthusiast because it means the release of Baird Rainy Season Black Ale.

*Rainy Season Black Ale (ABV 6.1%):

A torrential downpouring of hops define this otherwise roasty, toasty, espresso-like powerful black ale. 55 BUs of elegant American (Magnum, Galena & Sterling) and German (Tradition, Hersbrucker) lupulin as well as dry-hopped character from the spicy-floral combination of Sterling and Hersbrucker coat the tongue with a resinous stickiness that is pungently pleasurable. This is the Baird Beer antidote to the rainy season funk. We guarantee the results!

Rainy Season Black Ale is now pouring from our Taproom taps and will be available on draught at Baird Beer retailing pubs beginning Monday, June 15. 633 ml bottles also are available for purchase at Baird Beer retailing liquor stores throughout Japan.

The Rainy season gloom works on different people in different ways. To ensure there is a beery antidote that fits everyone’s afflicted disposition, we are releasing two additional Tsuyu-season Baird Beers: Numazu Lager and Faded Glory Pale Mild.

*Numazu Lager (ABV 5.5%):
This copper-gold lager (brewed back in March 2008 and conditioned for over one year in the keg), medium-light in body, bristles with a prickly hop bitterness (courtesy of Warrior and Columbus) and aroma (dry-hopping with Vanguard, Santiam and Sterling). I recommend imbibing as you stare out the Fishmarket Taproom window, marvelling at the acrobatic prowess of the swooning seagulls and contemplating the majesty of the low-hanging, fast-moving rain clouds which magically release their precipitate upon encountering the inland mountains.

Numazu Lager is available only on draught and only at our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom.

*Faded Glory Pale Mild (ABV 3.1%):

Pale Mild is a classic English Ale style that, much like the British Empire, has become essentially a historical relic. It is an unfashionably low gravity and low alcohol ale meant to replenish and not to inebriate. The brewing of low-gravity “small” beers is an extremely challenging task for the brewer because he is attempting to achieve flavor and character with the use of much less raw ingredient material. The Baird brewers relish the challenge and love the tribute that it pays to beer history and tradition.

Faded Glory Pale Mild is amber-gold in color, lightly floral in aroma (dry-hopping with Saaz) and somewhat biscuity in flavor (Maris Otter and Munich base malts). It is fresh and smooth from start to finish. This is a beer where flavor, refreshment, sociability and history meet at the crossroads! Faded Glory Pale Mild is available as Real Ale only at the Nakameguro and Fishmarket Taprooms.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #13

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Beer simply is the most diverse alcoholic beverage on earth. It also is the most sociable. Don’t believe us? We are releasing three more wonderfully varied seasonal beers (Kinshu Domei Double IPA, Dark Wheat Lager, Maris Otter-Saaz Ale) to further strengthen our case. Let us know if you remain unconvinced.

*Kinshu Domei Double IPA (ABV 8.0%):

The grist is entirely base malt (Pilsner, Vienna, Maris Otter and Wheat)
buttressed by a good dosing of Japanese red sugar (akato) in the kettle (sugar, of course, lightens body and dries flavor in beer rather than sweeten it). 80 BUs of American hops add a wonderful bitter character that balances the residual malt sweetness. Dry-hopping with a combination of Simcoe, Horizon and Glacier varieties renders this big IPA spritely aromatic. Available on draught and in 633 ml bottles

*Dark Wheat Lager (ABV 5.0%):

The German Beer Purity Law does not permit the use of malted wheat in lager beers. Fortunately, we are not brewing in Germany. This tawny brown lager is brewed with 4 varieties of malted wheat which contribute a light and bready flavor. The overall character is defined by a rich, velvety smoothness that is punctuated by a clean and firm hop bitterness. This original lager was brewed way back in August, 2007 and has been conditioning in our cold cellar for nearly two years! Available on draught and in 360 ml bottles.

*Maris Otter-Saaz Ale (ABV 5.0%):

Maris Otter is the historically classic barely variety used in English Ale
brewing. We use floor-malted Maris Otter Pale Ale malt in virtually all of our brews. Saaz is the historically classic aroma hop grown in
Czechoslovakia and used in lagers of all sorts — particularly
Bohemian-style pilsners. We brew Maris Otter-Saaz Ale with only these two ingredients (aside, of course, from soft Numazu water and our hardy house ale yeast). We serve it exclusively on hand-pump in Real Ale form. It is beer history in a glass! Available only as Real Ale at our Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms.

Allthree beers will be pouring at out Taprooms and other fine pubs and restaurants in Japan beginning Thursday, June 4. Bottle-conditioned versions of the Double IPA and Dark Wheat Lager will also be available through the finr family of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #12

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The onset of this sultry, summer-like weather seems the perfect opportunity to release two extremely quenching Baird Beer seasonals: Saison Sayuri & European Summer Ale.

*Saison Sayuri 2009 (ABV 5.5%):

Saison is an idiosyncratic Belgian-style beer of moderate strength that tends to be spicy and highly refreshing. Sayuri, of course, is my wife and partner and matron saint of Baird Beer. Saison Sayuri is my annual birthday tribute to this lovely woman. The 2009 version is brewed with small spice-like additions of the peels and fresh juice of local daidai citrus fruit and is fermented with a combination of two highly characterful Belgian yeast strains. The result is a piquantly quenching brew that still manages a great, albeit understated, depth of character. Saison Sayuri is available on draught at our Taprooms and at other excellent Baird Beer retailing pubs in Japan. It also is being sold by fine liquor stores in Japan in 633 ml bottles.

*European Summer Ale (ABV 5.5%):

This is an English-style summer ale brewed with English malts but hopped with German and Czeh hop varieties (Hallertau Tradition, Hallertau Hersbrucker and Czeh Saaz). It is playful and zesty in the mouth and sports a wonderfully floral, herbal hop aroma. This small-batch brew is available only on hand-pump as Real Ale at our Nakameguro and Fishmarket Taprooms. Come in for a pint or three while the gettin’ is good.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #11

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We are excited to inaugurate Golden Week with the release of three Baird spring seaonal brews: (1) Temple Garden Yuzu Ale, (2) Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale and (3) Love Potion Ale.

*Temple Garden Yuzu Ale (ABV 6.5%):

Yuzu is a Japanese citron fruit the aroma of which is gorgeously spicy and the juice lemon-like tart. This sprite, yet fairly strong ale, is fruited with yuzu and hopped in a complimentary way. This is a perfect spring libation.

*Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale (ABV 7.6%):

This Belgian-inspired ale, fermented with our non-Belgian house ale yeast, is wickedly strong in a wickedly stealthy sort of way. Brewed exclusively with base malts and Japanese sudakito sugar, the body is light relative to the firm bready-malty flavor. The unique hop aroma comes courtesy of a combination of Vanguard and Santiam hops. This brew is designed to facilitate the release of inhibitions (and with no recriminations, guaranteed!).

*Love Potion Ale (ABV 7.5%):

Good beer is the lubricant to many wonderful things, none more important than love. Baird Beer and The Taproom played a lubricating role in the love and recent matrimony struck between two great friends and patrons — Seiji and Naomi. Love Potion Ale, dark in color and strong in alcohol, is surprisingly sprite and wonderfully aromatic. It is at once playful and provocative yet strong and substantive — much like the love in a good relationship. Enjoy a pint in toast to Seiji and Naomi!

All three ales will be pouring from our Taproom taps beginning Saturday, May 2 (Love Potion is available exclusively on draught at the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms). Temple Garden Yuzu Ale will be available on draught and bottles at restaurants and retailers throughout Japan beginning Sunday, May 3. Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale is draught-only but will be available at fine Baird Beer retailers throughout Japan beginning May 3.

Nakameguro Taproom anniversary reminder:

Nakameguro Taproom 1-Year Anniversary Celebration

The Nakameguro Taproom will be celebrating its one-year anniversary on the weekend of Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10. It will be open from noon each day offering 700 yen pint and 500 yen half-pint prices on all Baird Beer (Numazu prices), including the 1-Year Anniversary Ale (an original fruited-ale brewed with pomegranate from California), and featuring a terrific beer-inspired buffet (all-you-can-eat) for 1,500 yen per person. Sayuri and I will be there welcoming guests and celebrating the ocassion on Saturday and lingering on to tap the debut keg of Saison Sayuri 2009 on Sayuri’s birthday, Sunday, May 10.

When: Saturday – Sunday (May 9-10) (noon until midnight)
Where: Nakameguro Taproom (Nakameguro, Tokyo)
Food: Original Beer Inspired Buffet (all-you-can-eat) @ 1,500 yen per person
Beer: 700 yen pint and 500 yen half-pint prices on all Baird Beer (May 9 debut of Nakameguro 1-Year Anniversary Ale; May 10 debut of Saison Sayuri 2009)
Reservations: Not Necessary

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #9

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Two Baird Beer spring seasonals are being released today and will be pouring from the taps of our Taprooms as well as from those of other fine pubs and restaurants in Japan beginning Wednesday, April 8.

(1) Four Sisters Spring Bock (ABV 7 %):

Baird Four Sisters Spring Bock is brewed in the spirit of a German Maibock, albeit one of the type that was brewed centuries ago in the city of Einbeck and that was noted for its generous use of malted wheat. Four Sisters Spring Bock sports a deep copper-gold color and enjoys a sweet floral nose from aroma additions of Sterling hops. In the mouth, a rich malty character will introduce itself before quickly giving way to an extremely smooth, dry finish in which a hint of honeyed-malt flavor and estery alcohol character lingers.

Four Sisters Spring bock is available both in kegs and bottles (633 ml).

(12 Yamanashi Sumomo Ale (ABV 5.5%):

This is part of our Yamanashi prefecture fruited-ale series made possible by the cooperation of our friends at the fine Kofu pub, Four Hearts Cafe. Sumomo is a plum grown in Yamanashi prefecture and we add plenty of whole sumomos, broken and cut to expose the juicy interior, directly to the wort at kettle knock-out. This zesty, sprite ale is lightly hopped with additions of English Fuggles and has been re-fermented and conditioned in the keg for over six months.

Supplies of this 2008-brewed version are limited to kegs. We have saved a small quantity of bottles (360 ml) from the 2007-brewed version that have been conditioning beautifully in our cellar for well over a year.

Be sure to get your taste of these fine spring seasonals while the tasting lasts.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #8

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The dawn of spring in Japan means cherry blossom viewing which means outdoor fun with friends enjoying good food and fine libations. The Fishmarket Taproom in Numazu will be hosting its own outdoor Hanami party this coming Sunday, March 29. The venue is the Minato-Guchi Koen which is a park just a couple hundred meters down the road (toward the bay) from the Fishmarket Taproom. In addition to serving a great array of picnic food, we will be pouring three Baird Beers (Wheat King Ale, Teikoku IPA and a special sneak preview of this year’s Four Sisters Spring Bock). The event kicks off at noon and will run until 4:00 or 5:00 pm.

Event: Fishmarket Taproom Hanami Party
When: Sunday, March 29 (noon – late afternoon)
Where: Minato-Guchi Koen in Numazu (200 meters down the road from the Fishmarket Taproom)
Food: All-you-can-eat picnic buffet
Drink: All-you-can-drink Beer (Wheat King Ale, Teikoku IPA, Four Sisters Spring Bock); non-alcoholic beverages
Price: Adults 3,000 yen; Children free

If you plan on attending please send us an email at either fishmarket-tap@bairdbeer.com or brewery@bairdbeer.com so that we can get a decent gauge of the overall numbers. We will be gathering at the park at noon. In case of extremely inclement weather, we will be relocating to the Fishmarket Taproom. We hope you can join us and meet Chris Poel, our new lead brewer who begins work in April. Be sure to bring the kids as lots of young ones will be running around having a ball.

Also, please note that the Fishmarket Taproom will thus be closed on Sunday, March 29. The Fishmarket Taproom also will be closed Monday, March 30 through Wednesday, April 1 due to kitchen and bar rennovations that we are undertaking. We will open again, with a fresh new kitchen and beer dispense system, on Thursday, April 2.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #7

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Do you like your java in the morning? Do you enjoy a beer later in the day? Both of these pleasures are combined in one extremely satisfying Baird Stout: Morning Coffee Stout.

Morning Coffee Stout 2009 (ABV 7.0%):

We brew Morning Coffee Stout once a year for release in late winter / early spring. Each year the recipe differs as does the coffee we use to craft this phenomenal brew. Morning Coffee Stout 2009 combines a blend of three roasted malts, roasted barley and Japanese kokuto (black sugar) with Tully’s Holiday Roast (Guatemala Cupper Reserve) coffee that is cold brewed and added to the stout just at packaging. The secondary fermentation and maturation that occurs post-packaging produces a hybrid stout-coffee elixir that is, in a word, divine.

Morning Coffee Stout 2009 is available on draught and in bottles (633 ml) through the fine family of Baird Beer retailers in Japan beginning Monday, March 16. Its debut also kicks off the annual Lucky Seven Stout Week held at our Taproom pubs.

Lucky Seven Stout Week (Monday, March 16 – Sunday, March 22):

The event coincides every year with St. Patrick’s Day (an Irish holiday celebrated on March 17), and gives us an excuse to celebrate a beer style category long associated with Ireland: Stout. This year the event will be held simultaneously at both the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms. The lucky seven stouts to be served (in addition to our year-round Shimaguni Stout) are:

(1) Mama’s Milk Stout
(2) Chocolate Malt Stout
(3) Great American Stout
(4) Midnight Oil Export Stout 2009
(5) Morning Coffee Stout 2009
(6) Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2009 (at Nakameguro); Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2008 (at Fishmarket)
(7) Barrel-Aged Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2008

Special Lucky Seven Stout Cards, which include punches for all seven seasonal stouts plus one for Shimaguni Stout, will be available for purchase and use during the week. Enthusiasts who purchase and complete the card will be entered into an end-of-the-week raffle in which seven beer prizes will be given away. The seven prizes are:

(1) Taproom Nombei Pint Drink Ticket
(2) Taproom Nombei Half-Pint Drink Ticket
(3) Mixed 4-Pack of seasonal stouts (Morning Coffee 2008, Morning Coffee 2009, Midnight Oil Export Stout 2008, Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2008)
(4) Baird Beer T-shirt (choose from Wheat King Ale, Red Rose Amber Ale, Rising Sun Pale Ale, Teikoku IPA)
(5) Baird Beer Taproom T-shirt (black or grey)
(6) Set of two Baird Beer logo glasses (pint and half-pint)
(7) Set of 8 Baird Beer Posters

Cards purchased at the Nakameguro Taproom can only be used at Nakameguro. Likewise, cards purchased at the Fishmarket Taproom are only for use in Numazu. Each Taproom will hold its own raffle with winners announced Monday, March 23.

Great stout-inspired cuisine will be served up by the Taproom kitchens and warm Irish-style comraderie and revelry will be in abundance. Friday, March 20 is a Japan national holiday and thus both Taprooms will be open all day from noon then and, as always, on Saturday and Sunday. Please plan on joining us.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #5

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Today we are releasing for sale throughout Japan one of our annually crafted seasonal stouts: Midnight Oil Export Stout.

Midnight Oil Foreign Export Stout 2009 (ABV 6.3%):

Export stouts generally are rich and roasty in flavor, moderately high in alcoholic strength, and sporting some noticeable hop character (normally registering in terms of bitterness and flavor). Baird Midnight Oil Export Stout enjoys a complexly layered roasted malt character (in addition to roasted barely we add three roasted malts to the grist — chocolate, chocolate wheat and black) and a firm, straightforward hop flavor (bittering and flavor additions of Nugget and Fuggle, respectively). The color is midnight oil black, the mouthfeel is oily and unctuous. This stout will pick up your spirits amidst this dreary end to winter in Japan. In addition to the draught version, bottles (633 ml) also are available for purchase.

We also are pleased to release, today, two small-batch ales made for dispense as ‘real ale’ via the handpumps at our two Taproom pubs: Luck of the Irish Red Ale & Mama’s Milk Stout.

Luck of the Irish Red Ale (ABV 5.0%):

This is a toasty, biscuity red ale laced with subtly sweet notes of caramel. It is brewed in the Irish tradition: i.e. it is malty, moderate in alcohol, and quietly nuanced in hop character. The softness and roundness of this ale is enhanced by the low-carbonation, cellar-temperature dispense via handpumps.

Mama’s Milk Stout (ABV 4.4%):

Milk stouts get their name from additions of lactose either during kettle boil or at packaging or both. They fall under the general category of ‘sweet stouts,’ which tend to be characterized by dextrin-rich wort that is fermented to low attenuation and thus is moderate in alcoholic strength, rich in flavor and robust in mouthfeel. Mama’s Milk Stout is all of these things.

Both of these ‘real ales’ are available on handpump only at the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms.

Finally, please mark your calendar for our upcoming annual Lucky Seven Stout Week (Monday, March 16 – Sunday March, 22). This year the event will be held simultaneously at both the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms. The event coincides every year with St. Patrick’s Day (an Irish holiday celebrated on March 17), and gives us an excuse to celebrate a beer style category long associated with Ireland: Stout. In addition to our year-round Shimaguni Stout (which, stylistically, resembles an Irish dry stout), we will be dispensing seven special seasonal stouts:

(1) Midnight Oil Export Stout
(2) Mama’s Milk Stout
(3) Chocolate Malt Stout
(4) Great American Stout
(5) Morning Coffee Stout
(6) Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2009
(7) Barrel-Aged Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2008

Special food, stout cards and an end-of-the week raffle will all be part of the package. More details will be forthcoming shortly.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #5

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Winter is a time of hibernation for many species. The Barley Wine style of beer is not one of these. Winter is the season that this big bear of the beer world comes out to play. Baird Ganko Oyaji (“Stubborn Ol’ Man) Barley Wine 2009 is being released from his cellar cave on Wednesday, February 11 (coinciding with the kick-off of our Baird Big Beer Winter Week at the Nakameguro Taproom).

Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2009 (ABV 9%):

Brewed in July 2008 and packaged upon krauesening in October, Ganko Oyaji 2009 sports a grist bill of three base malts (including some wheat), two caramel matls and Japanese red sugar. The starting gravity is high (25.3 P) resulting in a strong beer, yet the apparent attenuation is modest at 67% leaving ample residual body and sweetness. This rich texture and sweet mouthfeel is balanced by 85 IBUs of American hops (Warrior, Columbus, Horizon, Sterling). Aroma hopping was done in the whirlpool but no dry-hopping was conducted in the conditioning tank. Ganko Oyaji is an ideal after-dinner or before bed restorative. It promises to condition nicely in the bottle and keg for months and years to come.

Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2009 will be available on draught and in bottle-conditioned (633 ml) form through the fine family of Baird Beer retailers in Japan (including our own Taprooms) beginning Wednesday, February 11. In addition, limited quantities of both bottle- (360 ml) and keg-conditioned Ganko Oyaji 2008 are also available for purchase. The vertical tasting of strong beers of different vintages is both highly enjoyable and extremely instructive.

Baird Big Beer Winter Week 2009 at the Nakameguro Taproom (Wednesday, February 11 – Tuesday, February 17):

Wednesday, February 11 is a Japan national holiday and Baird Big Beer Winter Week 2009 kicks off that day at noon at our Nakameguro Taproom. This annual event is a celebration of strong beers whose power and warmth are best enjoyed in the cold chill of the winter season. Fourteen different Big Beers will be on tap at Nakameguro all week long; they will be matched with ten or so original dishes being brainstormed by Yoko-chan and the Nakameguro Taproom kitchen staff (all priced between 500 and 1500 yen). The Big Beers to be offered are:

-Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2009
-Ganko Oyaji Barley Wine 2008
-West Coast Wheat Wine 2009
-West Coast Wheat Wine 2008
-Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2009
-Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2008
-Yabai Yabai! Strong Scotch Ale 2009
-Yabai Yabai! Strong Scotch Ale 2008
-Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA
-Hatsujozo 2008 Double IPA
-Kinshu Domei Double IPA
-BakaYaro! Ale (Original receipe and concept of home-brewer Chris Poel)
-Baird Dubbel
-Double Piston Bock (Dopplebock)

All Big Beers will be served in half-pint (750 yen) and taster (400 yen) sizes only. Taster Cards (including punches for all fourteen beers) will be sold for 5,000 yen (600 yen discount from the a la carte purchase price). Taster Cards are valid for the duration of the event week but not thereafter. Please plan on joining us in Nakameguro for a fantastic Big Beer Winter Week!

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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The Japan Blog List

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #4

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Today marks the 8th annual release of the first fruited ale ever brewed at Baird Beer: The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale.

The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale 2009 (ABV 6.7%):

The mikans used in this brew are fresh, succulent, and local — harvested on the Heda land and by the hand of our carpenter friend, Nagakura-san. The Baird brewers hand-process the harvested mikans, shaving off the outer skin of the peel and pressing the juice. Both peel shavings and juice are added to the brew at different stages of production. The mikans serve to add depth and complexity to an already sumptious ale; their role is to complement, not dominate.

In addition to mikans, the 2009 Carpenter’s Mikan Ale incorporates a grain bill including Maris Otter pale ale malt, wheat malt, unmalted wheat and two types of Japanese sugar (sudakito and akato). The hopping schedule features cirtrusy Centennial and Cascade varieties including dry-hop additions to the conditioning tank. The combination of mikans and citrus hops provide an exquisitely complex yet balanced fruit character. The wonderful aromatics of this character waft gorgeously from the billowy white head that forms in the glass. Final transport to beer Nirvana comes courtesy of the tight and spritzy natural carbonation that works to keep you tastebuds fresh and alert.

The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale is now pouring from the taps of both of our Taprooms. It also will be available on draught and in bottle-conditioned form (633 ml bottls) at select Baird Beer retailing pubs, restaurants and liquor stores throughout Japan.

Big Beer Winter Week 2009:

Each winter we use our Taproom as a venue for a week-long celebration of strong and fortifying ales and lagers. We call this celebration Big Beer Winter Week. During this week, a collection of strong ales and lagers will be served simultaneously and paired with cuisine designed to complement these robust and warming libations. This year, we will hold this event at each Taproom during successive weeks. Specific dates are listed below:

*Nakameguro Taproom Big Beer Winter Week 2009 (Wednesday, February 11 – Tuesday, February 17)
*Fishmarket Taproom Big Beer Winter Week 2009 (Wednesday, February 18 – Monday, February 23)

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for some wonderful winter revelry. Specific details regarding big beers to be served will be forthcoming shortly in an upcoming bulletin.

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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