Craft beer has really come of age of late in Japan.
The nation is home to some wonderful brews still relatively unknown on the global beer market.
Here in Saitama there are at least three craft beer places we at Japan Tourist know of and will be working to report on in the near future.
The first we ticked off in mid-June - the tiny Hanyu Brewery in the extreme northeast of the prefecture, a stone's throw from the Gunma and Ibaraki borders.
Offering a range of beers including IPA, Classic, Marzen and Belgian White, Hanyu is expanding slowly, its beers slowly making inroads in the big smoke to the south of Saitama, and now available in a number of stores and restaurants around the Kanto area.
Still, there is something special about trying a brew at source and so with no further ado - opinion time.
The Belgian White (5.5% alc) is a wonderfully aromatic brew, not too creamy as some can be, and when served in the restaurant next to the brewery comes sans head – something that does tend to take some getting through in Japan. The aftertaste is perfectly suited to quiet sessions alone rather Saturday night swillfests.
Coming with more of a head is the Bohemian-esque pilsner; large mugs of which would not look out of place on the thick wrists of a German waitress in Munich come Oktober – spelling intentional.
Not too sharp, and a tad more hoppy than many pilsners out there this makes for a good quality beer to start off an afternoon session; as you might expect from a three time international beer competition winner, and a gold medal winner at the 2010 Japan / Asia Beer Cup.
Sadly missing from the Kobushi Hana Beer line-up on my most recent visit was the German dark beer style Marzen which weighs in at 6% alcohol - but this does of course provide a reason for a trip back.
All are on tap for a very impressive 420 yen each. Prices in Tokyo of the same beers are around twice as much for a bottle!
Food wise for those making the trip, you can safely ignore the staples found all over Japan such as edamame boiled soybeans, and fried potatoes when drinking at the brewery. Do not miss out on the chance to sample the local udon though.
Thinner than the 'regular' udon in most restaurants, and coming hot ot cold with freshly prepared tempura it makes for the perfect accompaniment to the beers, particularly on a hot summer day.
And for those coming by car, don’t forget to pop in to the local produce farmer's market just across from the brewery. Locally grown potatoes, cabbages and onions can be had for a fraction of the price paid in Tokyo. And of course you can pick up as many bottles of the brews mentioned above as you can carry - or afford - at 480 yen a bottle.
