Beer Zen Issue #1 2013

BEER ZEN 4

SHOUT OUT-Upcoming Events •

Belgium Beer Weekend

June 5th-9th belgianbeerweekend.jp • Great Japan Beer Festival:

July 13th-15th

beertaster.org • World Craft Beer Tasting:

September 21st-22nd at

Minatomachi River Place

SHOUT OUT-Websites •

Gee-Beer: gee-beer.blogspot.jp

•

Hoppiness is: hoppinessis.com

•

Kansai Beer Lovers: kansaibeerlovers.blogspot.jp

Letter from the Editor Craft Beer. It’s the new Rock-n-Roll. Beer enthusiasts no longer want to drink beer that does not live up to what beer should be. They don’t want “yellow fizz.” They want their IPAs, their Belgium’s. The beer enthusiast today knows the brands they like to drink regularly and the ones they want to partake of the next time they go out.

In the United States, what was most recently started by homebrewers has since turned into one of the fastest growing industries in the country.

Homebrewers have become artisans of craft beer with their own business and brewery in the 21st century. Because of this revolution in brewing, the majority of Americans now live within 10 miles from at least one of these craft breweries. How about Japan, though?

Unfortunately, there are significantly less breweries in Japan, however, the demand for craft beer is steadily growing. Japan has around 200 craft beer breweries across the nation, but because of strict brewing laws, this number has not grown as it has in other countries. Tokyo has seen an explosion of craft beer bars and Osaka is just beginning to follow suit, because when people are exposed to craft beer, they want more of it. They enjoy the variety of styles and they appreciate, even crave, the innovation that comes with craft beer brewing today. In Osaka, beer enthusiasts are starting their own shops, like Craft Beer Base and Qbricks or stocking up their restaurants with their favorite craft beer like, Cubo or I Love Pizza in Minami.

There are importers bringing new craft beer onto one of the islands of Japan even now.

If you are new to the the world of Craft Beer, welcome. It’s going to be an amazing journey. If you have been enjoying craft beer for awhile, you may already know your way around the scene, but I hope we can share some pints and a few stories.

Craft beer is a journey to beervana, if you will. Craft beer offers the simple enjoyment of your favorite beer. And it offers the constant journey for that perfect beer. It is the friendly pursuit of new beers and the indulgence of old favorites, it is good times with new friends and more times with old ones, it is drinking in new places and visiting once again, old haunts. Craft beer is about being in and enjoying the moment. Hence, the title of this quarterly journal, Beer Zen. With the first issue of Beer Zen we hope to provide within these pages, information and insight as to how craft beer is made, what beers are being produced in Japan and which ones are currently being imported from abroad and also, where craft beer is available in the Kansai area and beyond.

We hope that each reader will enjoy learning about all the facets of interest that permeate around these pints of labor and love that we all enjoy so much.

CONTENTS

Letter from the Editor Nama, Hitotsu Craft Beer Boom Red Tail Media

LIQUID ZEN 5 6 8 12

Beer Fes Osaka CBB Anniversary Book Release Beer Tech

LOCAL ZEN 16 17 19 19

STREET ZEN Beer Reviews 20 App Review 21 Gonzo Zen 22 Beers You Miss 23 Beer. I Like It. Another.

24 Beer Facts 25 Intro to Craft Beer Styles 26

Enjoy this first issue. May there be many more.

It’s not beer porn, its beer zen.

POST MD Editor

5

Liquid Zen

Nama, Hitotsu!

by Ajen Birmingham

What is the state of craft beer in Japan?

Compared to 5 years ago, there are a lot more specialty retailers of craft beer and even a few big box super markets that carry a decent selection.

But we still have yet to see variety as common place in restaurants and pubs.

There are a few reasons for this.

Unfiltered, unpasteurized draught beer has a very short shelf life. Even shorter if not

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stored and handled correctly.

To be able to dispense craft beer the way it is intended, a proper environment needs to be provided: -Most beer must be kept cold from storage to glass, 1°c - 3°c (exceptions are higher gravity beers, i.e. barley wines, quads, etc. Also, cask conditioned beers do not need to be stored at this temperature).

This requires an an investment in cooled storage which is usually pretty space intensive.

-A serving system that can be modified to accommodate different styles of beers, kegs and temperatures. This is fairly pricy if farmed out to a contractor. Also, space intensive.

-A working knowledge of gas

regulation. This requires a bit of money loss while on the learning curve and lots of patience. Understanding how to maintain correct carbonation balance through the life of a keg is a key element in the dispensing of a quality beer.

Equally, one of craft beer’s most salient points is the story behind it. Proprietors should have at least a basic knowledge of the beers they dispense. Another time investment.

What goes into the creation of a pub or eatery, though?

Well, there are a multitude of things to consider when conceptualizing, and planning, a food and beverage establishment- menu, service, size, location, price, and image. Much to the boon of macro beer distributors, beer is usually an afterthought. It usually never enters the owner’s mind that they could put as much diversity into their beer selection as they do into their food menu. So, by the time beer enters the picture in

the planning process, most of the layout has been decided, thus locking out any chance to groom the location for the serving of craft beer.

Lets now look at what envi-

ronment is needed to modestly serve Japanese macro beers.

-Space for a 5 litter keg (no temperature controlled storage necessary due to the extensive filtration that Japanese macro beer undergoes).

-A shunrei tower (an electrically powered beer cooling machine where beer travels through cooled coils, bringing the beer to a desired temperature before reaching the

dispense faucet).

-A power supply to connect the shunrei tower to.

-About 15cm of counter space.

As you can see, not much is required to serve a Japanese macro beer. No financial outlay is needed either and most distributors will outfit a shop with a modest serving system as well as handle all the required maintenance. The only catch is that the owner has to serve only beer which the distributor carries.

Most proprietors know nothing about the handling and dispensing of beer, so this is usually a moot point for them. Seeing only convenience and profits, they are

happy to relinquish control of their taps to the distributor.

Consequently, lacking the forethought that is required to create the environment to serve craft beer, owners find themselves in a situation where they have no choice but to work with a macro beer distributor.

My hope is that more potential restaurant entrepreneurs will be exposed to craft beer, inspiring them to incorporate craft beer into their business model.

Ajen Birmingham works for Evergreen Importing and produces various craft beer related events around the Kansai area.

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Craft Beer Boom

by POST MD Photos by Coy Koehler

A look across the pond into the Los Angles craft beer scene.

In the US, one only need look to San Diego to see what a city imbibed with craft beer can be. San Diego is a city alive with craft beer breweries and aficionados. However, Los Angeles, one of the major centers for creativity in the US, was also slow to catch on to craft beer, much like Osaka.

As much as everyone would like to have immediate access to craft beer, this is sadly not the case. Craft beer is becoming available in different cities at different rates. While Tokyo has seen a boom in craft beer bars, Osaka has been much slower in understanding the appeal of craft beer.

In 2011, San Diego had over 70 craft beer breweries, while Los Angeles had less than a handful, much like Osaka.

And of those breweries, none packaged their own beer for consumption away from the brewery or focused on hops.

However, there are individuals who understand the 8

appeal for craft beer and the need for local breweries. One such individual in Los Angeles is Tony Yanow. Tony is one of those individuals who not only has great passion for craft beer, but also a bold vision for how craft beer can positively influence Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.

Tony understood early on that LA was growing a huge

for the CBC, Craft Brewer’s Conference, to discuss with him his interest and commitment to craft beer. As a beer enthusiast, Tony is a fan of California style IPAs, traditional brown porters and English Milds. He has been involved in craft beer before it was called craft beer.

In Canada, where Tony hails from, he had not heard of the

demand for hop focused beers and that this demand was not being met by local breweries or establishments. Tony has helped to change that by opening three craft beer centered establishments in different parts of LA that not only offer exceptional craft beer, but also an outstanding experience.

I contacted Tony while he was back in Washington, DC

term microbrew until he was deep into the brewing scene, during the 1980s.

If you are planning to visit LA, I highly recommend visiting all three of his establishments: Tony’s Dart’s Away, Mohawk Bend (both of which Tony owns with his wife, Amy) and Golden Road Brewery (which he co-owns with Meg Gill and his stepfather). For Tony, opening

each of these venues has been an adventure. From the get go, Tony’s Darts Away or TDA was a surprising success and his first experience at dipping his toes into the “professional beer world.” TDA continues to be a place “that is comfortable and laid back with a daily tap list that is unbeatable.”

The tap list regularly includes 16 IPA’s on tap. (You can salivate over their complete beer menu here: tonysda.com/ beer). Through the success of TDA, Tony was able to open up Mohawk Bend, a much bigger, more complex and ambitious venture than TDA. Mohawk Bend is an old movie theater that has been converted into a bar/restaurant. The old marquis outside regularly displays new beers on tap and event info. “The bar boasts 65 co2 taps, 5 nitro taps, 2 beer engines and 6 wine taps.

Twenty of these taps regularly host IPA’s on any day of the week.” (You can drool even further over that tap list here: mohawk.la/beer). You may have noticed that all of these taps are only hosting California craft beer. The bar

has a full time cellarman who organizes the cold box and works very closely with the

“Golden Road has been about the journey of living in California.” beer buyer. Thirty static taps are maintained with another 35 that constantly rotate and a bank of 5 that are dedicated

to their “once a month out of state brewery.” Tony says that, all of this makes “Mohawk Bend an excellent place to go for a drink, a dinner or a party.” (I will also add that Mohawk Bend is one of my favorite places in LA to visit when I am back in that part of the world and the first place I ever had Racer 5, one of my favorite IPAs). It’s well worth a visit and the staff, along with the tap list, are top notch.

In an effort to help instill regional pride, Tony opened Golden Road Brewery in October of 2011 in hopes of becoming LA’s hometown brewery. (You can check out the beer lineup at: golden-

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craft beer scene has changed tremendously in LA, with more growth still to come.

People now have access to a great amount of craft beer both regionally and locally, as a number of breweries have opened up in LA as well.

This sort of growth is good for the city of LA and good for the country, but there are road.la). It’s a 2 acre, restaurant and private event space that can hold 600 people in three buildings with brewhouses, towering fermentors, a canning line, offices, barrel room. “The Brewery and pub house is 32,000 square feet with a 15 barrel and 50 barrel system in a former Southern Pacific switching station along the railroad tracks.” The brewery and tap room are open, while the site as a whole is still under construction.

A venture of this size is not without its hiccups and Tony says that staffing is one of the biggest issues and an undertaking such as this is not for

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everyone. However, he is very excited about their current lineup of beers and where they are at now, especially with their new brewmaster, previously at Drakes, Jesse Houck.

Over the past 5 years, the

questions in regards to how long this level of growth can sustain itself. Tony, like many other craft beer enthusiasts is always on the hunt for new beers. Because of this, brewers are brewing more and more beer. Tony says that, “people who are new to craft beer, once they taste a flavorful beer, generally do not go back to the bland.” Amen.

With this in mind, Tony hopes to continue establishing Golden Road Brewery as a presence in the LA market and surrounding areas. To do this, Tony believes Golden Road needs to continue to brew hoppier and hoppier beers and to brew more fun and exciting styles. He would like to be able to “get Golden

Road to every beer drinker within 500 miles of the brewery (that’s about 30 million people, by the way).”

Unfortunately, Golden Road does not have plans to distribute in Japan as is outside of their 500 mile target range. However, the brewery has brewer friends from Japan who may be interested in doing a collaboration down the road.

Similar to Maui Brewing and Oscar Blues, Golden Road made the bold decision to distribute only in cans. By doing this, there is less light and oxygen coming into the beer which means the beer has as fresher taste. Addition-

ally, cans are more environmentally and economically friendly. Cans are also more portable so they save on storage and trucking space.

If you happen to be in LA, Golden Road will be participating in a number of events.

(You can check out their event lineup here: goldenroad.la/ events). Some of the events include the Atwater Village Beer and Wine Fest and The LA Gay and Lesbian Simply Divine Festival, plus about 30 other festivals in and around

LA. And that’s just before summer when the festival season is at its thickest.

For Tony, “Golden Road has been about the journey of living in California.” With this endeavor, and with his previous two, Tony has strived to maintain a family kind of vibe that is hard working and very goal oriented as well. It is this sort of vision and principle that has helped shape his success in previous endeavors and will shape success in his future endeavors as well.

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The Art of Promoting Craft Beer

by Warren Wills Photos courtesy of Jared Cotton

A peek inside the minds at Redtail Media creating craft beer commericals for international consumption and enjoyment.

Over the past thirty years, the explosion of craft brewing into almost every locality around the world has changed our perception of what beer can be. From the docks of San Francisco, to the highlands of Scotland, to the bustling streets of Japan, the revived art of brewing artisanal beers has begun to overtake the titans of the industry. Out in front of this new wave of brewing are a burgeoning group of artists, critics and homebrewers who have taken to social media, blogs and various online formats to hoist the mantle of these meticulously concocted brews, changing the face of beer promotion for the better.

For decades, small brewers have relied solely on local word of mouth, only to get swamped by television and print advertisements of the biggest brewers. Today, 12

smaller regional breweries have not only found their niche in the beer market, but have also stemmed the tide of mass produced brewers by crafting a far better product and enlisting the resources of craftsmen such as Redtail Media’s Jared Cotton and Chris Burke.

Recently, Jared and Chris both took a few moments out of their busy schedule to discuss the work they’ve been doing in this new arena, producing a new art of effectively beer-mongering these delicious creations in the digital age. Creating photographic

and video content for craft beer websites (for the Anchor, Alaskan and BrewDog breweries among others) this work has taken them to some far flung and unique locales including “a back alley of Sarajevo,” places in “Eastern Europe, all over the UK, ice caves in Alaska, the Fjords of Norway, oil rigs off the African coast, the swamps of Florida, the LA Lakers locker room and even Jennifer Anniston’s garage (It’s a long story).” Craft beer has returned to its creative roots by providing something unique, for

every taste and every locale; Chris and Jared have been providing this movement that extra nudge necessary to keep the word of mouth going.

The origins of the Redtail enterprise can be traced back to 2006 when Jared and Chris found each other during the casting for a film school project, or as Chris likes to say, they “met on the internet.” Jared was the director, Chris the actor; Jared finished film school and Chris paid his dues as an editor at ‘The Tennis Channel.’ Their first attempt at breaking into the industry was an idea for a TV show on craft beer and they “thought it would sell instantly... turns out, it’s not that easy to sell TV shows.” Though their first venture didn’t take flight, they “both decided that we never wanted to work as

anyone’s ‘employee’ and from day one we decided to use our instincts, talent and work ethic to do things our way come hell or high water.”

After a second try at a TV show, this time with Greg Koch, Stone Brewing’s cofounder, they were asked to help create an inspirational video on craft brewing Stone Brewing could show at the

2009 Brewer’s Association Craft Brewers Conference. “It took a lot of work to put it all together and we didn’t finish it until the night before Greg’s

a whole. “One of the coolest moments for us,” says Jared, ”was when we left a meeting in LA and like true beer geeks went to the nearest craft beer

“There are a thousand things that make craft beer better than other industries but the reason that stands out for me is the people …they’re motivated by something that’s bigger than themselves, similar to the energy that drives artists.” speech in Boston,” says Jared, “but when we were done, we were all really proud of it.”

Chris realized that “Greg recognized before most others in the industry that video (when done right) could have great power in support of a brewery’s story.” Not only did this increase their visibility among potential clients within the craft brewing, it also bolstered the image of the industry as

bar, The Daily Pint, to grab a beer... At the bar, three guys were huddled around an iPhone watching ‘I Am A Craft Brewer’. They asked us if we’d seen it. We just told them, ‘Yeah, it was pretty good.’”

The now ubiquitous video was just one half of an amazing 2009 for Redtail Media, which also saw them garner an Emmy Award for a documentary called Bloody 13

Thursday, detailing an infamous West Coast dockworkers strike, during the Great Depression. “In the process of making the film,” says Chris, “we had to draw on all our abilities and problemsolving skills. And then to beat out a field of much more established companies and bigger networks... it was a big boost having that.” According to Jared, this one-two punch of success “changes the way people in this industry look at you immediately because it means, ‘We can trust these guys to deliver really good content and it mitigates our risks were we to pick up a show from them.”

Since then, they’ve taken on a multitude of projects for a number of independent brewers such as Alaskan, Anchor (regular photo and video content for their website), 14

compartmentalized” says Jared. “You’re either a director or an editor or a shooter, you are rarely more than one and you are most certainly never all three. We happen to be the exception to that rule.”

What has always guided Chris and Jared in their work is their own love for craft beer, where they “strive to give everything we create an air of authenticity and realism.” Jared goes on to note that “there are a thousand things that make craft beer better than other industries but the reason that stands out for me is the people …hard working individuals that seem BrewDog, Firestone-Walker to be doing what they’re doand Stone, as well as joint pro- ing because they’re motivated jects for the Brewers Associa- by something that’s bigger tion such as American Craft than themselves, similar to Beer Week. Roughly 50% of the energy that drives artists.” their work is done within the You may have noticed realm of craft brewing. Their that these two take the craft other projects include two brewing industry seriously, Food Network shows and a with each having their own number of American sports personal history including

specials. Redtail’s work ethic, which is to hold themselves to a motto Chris invokes, that simply “good enough isn’t,” truly sets them apart. “In our industry, everything is very

a wide range of tastes and styles. Chris’ love of craft beer can be traced back to his own hometown’s local pub, the San Pedro Brewing Company, where they still make

“very good beers, named after local landmarks, and brewed right there where the smell of the mash would mix with the aroma of steaks on the grill. It was awesome.” Jared’s love of craft beer was sparked when he first had Stone’s Old Gaurdian Barleywine. “The first time I ever tried it was when we were shooting a project we did at Stone and… you can get ridiculously drunk off one bottle of beer. After that, I was hooked.”

As with anyone who routinely ventures into new territory within the artisan industry, both Chris and Jared say their all-time favorite beers change often.

For Chris, his favorite “right now is Stone’s Sublimely SelfRighteous Ale.” As for Jared, his most recent “favorite beer is the bottle of Batch 1 Russian River Consecration that Vinnie gave us when we were shooting his scene for ‘I Am A Craft Brewer’ back in 2009.

Chris and I had been saving it for the day when we finally ‘sold a beer show.’” While the beer show has finally been sold, the details aren’t quite ready for public consumption and we’ll be sure to pass along the details as soon as we know more.

Both Chris and Jared admit that they don’t “know too much about the Japanese craft beer scene beyond Hitachino and Baird.” Jared’s “not yet been able to try anything from Baird but the Hitachino stuff from Kiuchi always

seems to be a pretty solid, especially the espresso stout which I’m particularly fond of.” These days, the availability of Japanese craft beer is slim within the United States, but can be found in some specialty stores and restaurants.

The work Redtail does is important because craft beer, restricted by the nature of their hand crafted output, will never rely on the kind of mass marketing the multi-national conglomerates depend on.

Craft beer, at it’s heart, is a fusion of art and industry, one that depends on the devotion of those who invest the time and money required to savor the best styles available. Jared and Chris, along with thousands of others, are making sure the smaller artisans are getting a turn at the podium, introducing them on the world’s stage. The reason the

biggest beers have the mouthpiece they do is a result of price, expensive advertising, conquering smaller brewers and lifting new ideas from the crafters. Their share of the market stagnates and declines, for the way they’ve always brewed beer can no longer speak for itself. In today’s world, if one can master the artisan style imbued in craft beer, it sells itself. Redtail Media merely channels that grassroots energy into visual form, providing a feast for the eyes, as well as the gullet.

Redtail Media can be found at RedtailMedia.net and @ redtailmedia on Twitter and Instagram.

Warren Wills is the creator and editor of hoppinessis. com.

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Local Zen

The Great Japan Beer Festival

by POST MD

Osaka will once again welcome the Great Japan Beer Festival on July 13th to 15th at the Kyocera Dome, Sky Hall. Last years festival saw 4,500 guests attend. This festival takes place once a year in Osaka as well as in Tokyo, Yokohama and Nagoya. Craft beer enthusiasts will have access to tastings of more than 150 different craft beers from around the world.

The Great Japan Beer Festival began in 1998 and first came to Osaka in 2003. It is sponsored by the Craft Beer Association or CBA. The CBA was founded in 1994

by Ryouji Oda to help promote and popularize craft beer in Japan. In addition to the CBA, Oda, as president of the CBA, also formed the BTO, Beer Taster Organization, a non-profit organization to advance the culture, history and technology involved in making craft beer. The CBA also provides seminars to individuals seeking to better understand how to evaluate beer. Students who pass the examination can become licensed Beer Tasters through the CBA and BTO. Those seeking to become qualified Beer Judges can attend a seminar in Tokyo called the International Beer Competition with Charlie Papazian. Papazian is the founder of the American Homebrewers Association and The Great American Beer Festival, former president of the American Brewer’s Association and writer of the bible to homebrewing, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.

The Great Japan Beer Festival is an excellent way to taste an array of craft beers from around the world. Many of the craft beers on the menu are not available in The Great Japan Beer Festival: Kansai outside of this event. However, with Door: ¥5,000 the slow rise of craft beer bars in Kansai, a Advance: ¥4,600 good number of the beers on offer at the July 13th: 2pm-6pm event are slowly becoming available outside July 14th: 12:30pm-4:30pm of the event.

July 15th: 12:30pm-4:30pm Website: Beertaster.org Email: jcba@beertaster.org 16

Craft Beer Base

by POST MD

Celebrating 1 Year Craft Beer Base opened in the Oyodo neighborhood, one block from Umeda Sky Building, on June 4th, 2012. I was first introduced to CBB, as it’s known among regulars, when I received a flyer for the opening night party from the owner, Ai Tani, at the Namba Craft Beer Festa at Namba Hatch while waiting in line to purchase drink tickets. Immediately, I was taken in by the name and the promise of craft beer that I could not only drink on the premise, but a bottle shop and walk-in freezer that would allow me to cart away as much beer as my backpack could carry to drink at my leisure. This moment was for me, a door into a much larger world of

craft beer in Japan as CBB has allowed me and many others to not only drink many of our favorite beers in Japan, but also put craft beer enthusiasts in contact with one another.

Since its opening, CBB has supplied many individuals, both local and international, with a wide array of craft beer from Japan and abroad. CBB carries over 300 different types of craft beer, with many different selections of IPA and Belgium beer. This makes sense as Ai is a big fan of hoppy beer, especially IPA and Ai also worked at a Belgium beer bar before opening CBB. Ai chose to open CBB in the Oyodo neighborhood because it was going through a renewal and she wanted to help other restaurants in the area. The Umeda Sky Building is famous for hosting the Belgium Beer Festivals, so residents living in Oyodo were already familiar with craft beer and would hopefully be more inclined to stop

by CBB on their way home for 17

create a special brew for the event entitled Oyodo Passion Red. Ai chose to brew a red ale to represent the passion she and others feel for craft

“Japanese people can be shy, but they like customs. Someone is needed to teach them about craft beer. I want to be that someone.” a pint or pick up a few bottles to take home to drink. Ai hopes the neighborhood will eventually be known for craft beer and that more and more restaurants in the area will serve craft beer. Additionally, being only a short walk from Osaka Station makes it simple for importers and brewers to visit the shop.

Over the course of the past year, CBB has hosted many different events. CBB partnered with Ajen Birmingham in September 2012 for its

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biggest event, the World Craft Beer Tasting in Nakazakicho.

This event was a first of its kind with many international craft beers and domestic Japanese craft beers on tap. The event will take place again this September 21st-2nd in Namba at Minatomachi River Place.

Ai is now preparing to celebrate CBB’s one year anniversary with a two day event on June 1st and 2nd. This time, Ai has partnered with Baird Brewing in Numazu to

beer. The beer is named after the neighborhood to continue promoting Oyodo as a craft beer friendly area.

Ai continues to be excited about introducing craft beer to Japanese people. She wants to build a culture around craft beer in much the same way craft beer culture has been developing in the US and abroad. Craft beer festivals are a great way to first become aware of craft beer, however, more shops are needed to provide access and build that culture. As Ai says, “Japanese people can be shy, but they like customs. Someone is needed to teach them about craft beer. I want to be that someone.”

Book Release

by POST MD

Mark Meli releases new guide to Japanese craft breweries- Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide.

In June, Mark Meli of Kansai University will release, Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide, a new guidebook to craft breweries in Japan. The book was writen to offer a more critical look at the types and availability of craft beer in Japan. Previous craft beer guides often contained too many reviews of their beer written by the breweries themselves. Because of this, a number of these beers tended to look the same and lack any critical insight to differentiate each beer. Mark hopes his ratings and reviews of over 100 craft breweries can help craft beer enthusiasts easily seek out the best of what the breweries have to offer.

In researching the book, Mark visited 83 breweries

and tasted from 183 different Japanese breweries. Some of these breweries are now out of business, including one of his favorites, Hakusekikan, in Gifu, which had 5 different world class Barley Wines aging beautifully in 2000 liter tanks. The head brewer, Niwa, is now brewing for Outsider Brewery. Of the craft breweries in Japan, most seemed to be brewing Pilsners and Weizen. And many of the German style beers brewed in Japan easily rivaled German style beers being brewed in America.

During a one year research trip to Europe in 2005, Mark visited Belgium, Austria, and France. During this time he developed a taste for German and Czech styles of beer.

Upon returning to Japan his interest in craft beer continued when he began frequenting Beer Belly and was shocked that Japan could make strong, quality beer, such as Minoh’s W IPA. After this, Mark began researching Japanese Craft Breweries.

Mark believes craft beer will become more main stream in Japan as prices come down, when breweries begin making craft beer that is not aimed at the omiage market and when tax laws for hops decrease. The past two years has seen an explosion of craft beer bars in Tokyo and it is only a matter of time before this same craze begins to have a greater influence in Osaka as well.

Beer Tech

by Warren Wills

Dogfish Head Brewery, based in Delaware, has created an ingenious device by which you can infuse your hand-crafted beer of choice with fresh hops, cinnamon or whatever suits your fancy.

It’s called Randal the Enamel Animal, which has been exhibited at craft beer events and special functions at the brewery, and was originally featured in the craft beer/mass-produced beer documentary Beer Wars. No doubt there is a market for this technology and you can now find Randal’s offspring, Randall 3.0 (a large, dual chambered infuser for home use: $288) and Randall Jr. (a personal sized 16oz, doublewalled canister: $19.99) on the Dogfish Head website store: dogfish.com.

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Street Zen

The Dark Side

by Brian Burgess

Fujizakura

Beer Review

by P. Starecky

Beer Review Fujizakura Heights Rauch. This beer recently won 3 World Beer Award’s for the World’s Best Speciality Beer, the World’s Best Smoked Speciality Beer and also Asia’s Best Speciality Smoked.

I recommend the sampler set on Rakuten which is available for just ¥1800. This price also includes shipping to first time customers. The sample set is a great way to partake of 3 beers from this award winning brewery-Pilsner, Rauch & Weizen.

Fujizakura Heights Rauch pours a lovely purple amber brown with a thick foamy beige head. The aroma is a huge punch of smoke with subtle bacon notes. The flavor is fantastic and this beer deserves the accolades that it has recently receieved. It starts off with smoke, followed by a spicy malt base and ends with a soft smokey finish. It is a very smooth beer with a nice full mouthfeel that is easy to drink and packs in lots of flavor for just 5.5% alcohol. This is a wonderful beer to start exploring Japanese craft beer which will set the bar high. May you sample many more.

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Morning Coffee Stout by Baird Brewing Company: I like it. More accurately, I LOVE it!

It is almost everything I want in a beer. A sexy black stout with a nice beige head. Personally, I prefer a darker head, but that is the only aesthetic deduction this beer received. .

Well, a true connoisseur does not judge on the first taste, so these notes are during my third pint. There is no hint of coffee in this beer; there is a blast of coffee! In fact, in my notes, I wrote “coffee” three times…it was my 4th pint overall, though.

The best part for me was the lingering finish. The flavor stayed in my mouth for quite a while after. It may be a seasonal beer, so grab it while you can!

Fraoch Heather Ale

by P. Starecky

Beer Review Fraoch’s Heather Ale pours a rich honey color with a light carbonation. The aroma is of malt and fruit, reminding me of a Belgian Triple. It’s fruity at first which is followed by a heather floral flavor in the aftertaste. Definitely worth a try. Very pleasant and possibly a beer which would give you nice breath too!

Return of the Dark Side

by Brian Burgess

Untappd App

by P. Starecky

App Review Beer Review

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout: I like it! It certainly did not disappoint the occasion. It started with a nice pour and a very small head, which is not exactly appealing, but all is forgiven with the first mouthful of that black goodness.

It’s not the usual coffee taste. Calling it cappuccino is apropos—like an espresso with some creamy sweetness to fight the bitterness. The flavor fills the entire mouth. To be frank, the aroma is not as pronounced as most other coffee stouts I’ve had, but perhaps that’s another reason they call it cappuccino, which is less fragrant than a Cup O` Joe. I’d highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I was at Craft Beer Base 3 days ago and DID recommend it to a stranger.

He got it, and now we’re Facebook friends. So, if you want friends (real or imaginary), this is the beer for you.

It is a Limited Release, but you should be able to find it at a good bottle shop. Oh! And read the right side label—that guy writes better than me, but after 1pt 6oz of 9.2% pure joy, I hope you can forgive me.

Untappd is a usefull free app for revewing beer whether you are drinking at home or out at a craft beer bar. It mixes social networking with reviewing beer and will keep all of your reviews in the cloud, but they can only be 140 characters long. Untappd is free, easy to use & has recently been redesigned with a smoother interface and a rating system letting you rate beers from 0.5 to 5 bottle caps. However, you can’t write reviews offline, the app limits locations to those nearest when without internet. The app sometimes crashes losing data you are entering but previous data is in the cloud so it is safe. Social networking features allow you to see what/where your friends are drinking. You can also create wish-lists, explore beers/ places nearby, see trending beers & you can earn badges for drinking beer! A decent app for being free.

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Gonzo Zen

by Joseph Ferrante

Have beer, will travel.

Brewery: Angel City What better place to start a craft beer travel section for a Japanese magazine than in a warehouse in downtown LA’s Little Tokyo? Angel City Brewery is a hollowed out warehouse, nuclear bomb dropped on the LA craft beer scene. It is the new epicenter of the Los Angeles craft beer scene and though it hasn’t officially opened, the place is packed with hipster, Sci-Arc students, Japanese tourists

and craft beer enthusiasts from across the county.

Outside, an old railroad track goes nowhere and several loading dock garages open to the street. You enter off the main road and round the back.

My old lady and I get there late and though the opening is soft, the beer is flowing hard and fast. Only a few seats in this seemingly 22

abandoned old warehouse that once shipped suspension bridge cables. Now, the only thing in suspension is our disbelief, the disbelief that we are actually going to get a beer in this massive crowd. One tiny bar currently

order one over anything else here, but if you’re doing a flight of craft beer, it clears the palate and that’s usually the best thing you can say about a pils. We’re off and running and we’re onto the Eureka Wit, the Belgian,

serves the packed warehouse as music throbs and a beer fueled rave may break out at anytime. Not wanting to be left behind the already well-lubricated crowd, my old lady and I buy two flights where you get five out of the six beers they serve. I ask the bartender and manager of the brewery which one he recommends we pass on. He tells us to forget the pilsner. When I ask why that one in particular, he says it’s your usual pils and they just felt they had to have it. I go with everything else and for some reason he throws us a pilsner on top of our five and now we’re drinking all six.

He’s right about the pils, it isn’t your usual pathetic piss though. It’s crisp, clean and clear. I wouldn’t walk up and

citrusy, with a bit of clove and next we’re digging the Berliner Weisse. This seems to be the most popular beer among the hipsters and

“...I realize the craft in all of Angel City’s beers is that they all shine with a cool, crisp clarity of flavor.” golden state beauties. My old lady and I find it average though, unmemorable. We’re eager for the IPA, but first the Amber. We expect the amber to be good, but this is surprisingly good - beauti-

Beers You Miss

by Jon Watkins

Have a beer you miss?

ful color with a lot of sparkle to it. After the Amber, I’m expecting to be disappointed by the IPA, you can’t rebound off something that good, but it only gets better. The IPA is what you should come here for-bitter and hoppy. It lacks that horrid perfume taste that many craft beers fall victim to. This is a well-balanced beer and probably one of the best in LA. By the time we hit the French Sip, their au jus dark with hints of rosemary, we can’t take it. We decide to double fist the Amber and the IPA and roam the party. Food trucks pull up and everyone is pairing, but we both have a mellow, hoppy buzz going and find a nice spot on the loading dock, knock back a few as the golden haired SoCal girls gyrate to a mellow beat. Watching them, I realize the craft in all of Angel City’s beers is that they all shine with a cool, crisp clarity of flavor. The beers are imbedded with the spirit of place. As the sun sets slowly in the west, the golden haired, golden state girls undulate to a chill vibe you can truly taste.

angelcitybrewery.com

New Belgium Brewing Company’s flagship beer, Fat Tire, is generally acknowledged as the finest to come from Northern Colorado, a region well-known for the quality of its brews. The name refers to both a kind of bicycle and a transcendental moment experienced by the brewery’s founder, who, as a young homebrewing enthusiast, toured the Trappist breweries of Belgium on a cycling trip. The amber ale smells faintly of caramel and has a toasty taste, subtly sweet and is freshly bitter from the mixture of three different kinds of hops-Willamette, Goldings and Target.

It’s perfectly matched with cheese and crackers, and best enjoyed in the company of old friends under a star-filled summer sky around a crackling campfire in the Rocky Mountains. It’s additionally recommended as essential gear for trout-fishing expeditions and to aid lengthy afternoon naps in the rusted beds of old pickup trucks.

Fat Tire, favorite son of Fort Collins, Colorado, has traveled far across 1. Green Flash West North America, winning Coast IPA numerous accolades 2. Bear Republic in the process, but it has yet to reach the Racer 5 IPA distant shores of Japan.

5 to Try: IPA

newbelgium.com

3. Lucky Bucket IPA 4. Epic Imperial IPA 5. Baird’s Suruga Bay Imperial IPA 23

Beer. I Like It. Another.

by Brian Burgess

Venturing into Beer Belly.

I was reading the newspaper, as I always do (don’t ask me where) and I spotted a little blurb about Minoh Brewery winning a World Beer Award for their Stout in 2009.

I asked my adult students about this. They had seen the 3 sisters on TV, but no one had actually tried a Minoh beer before and no one knew where I could get my hands on one.

A year after this, I heard Minoh Brewery won a World Beer Award again for their Imperial Stout. This time, I would not be stopped. I searched online and found the addresses for Beer Belly Higobashi and Beer Belly Edobori. I printed them out and headed into Osaka. Understand, this was pre-smart phone (at least for me), so it was not easy to find—the information as to opening times and days off were very wrong.

I remember waiting outside Edobori for 30 minutes before realizing it was a no go. I ended up at Higobashi, and that, my friends, has made all the difference.

So, to honor that memory, I went back itching to put them in Issue #1 of Beer Zen, for they are my number 1.

The day is March 15, and I just finished my taxes. I am 24

the first customer. I see the menu is full of the special limited tribute beers for Masaji the Great! Every time I go to Beer Belly, I drink copious amounts of beer...and I’ve never had a hang over. A friend, who we will call Micky Blue Eyes, once said "you never get a hangover when you drink beer made of quality ingredients." And Beer Belly serves Minoh Beer, made only of top quality ingredients.

So, I order a “Tasting set of the Masaji Beer Project.

This is not on the menu, but the Master, Otsuka-san, is awesome and pours me five 150ml samples. For my records, I ask him “is this officially known as Beer Belly Higobashi or Beer Belly Tosobori?” He shouts back “Beer Belly ONLY!” I laugh, as it is the original. It’s like calling Pope Francis, Pope Francis the First.

As he hands them to me, he gives me an explanation of each. I taste them and note: -Minoh’s Godfather—coriander and cloves. Dark brown ale. The strong clove smell is fantastic. Malty finish.

-Swan Lake’s Big Daddy IRA—beautiful red-brown.

Hops. Effervescence (I majored in Chemistry) in throat.

A favorite in the bar.

-North Island MPA—grapefruit/citrus. HOPS! Nice golden color. Bitter finish.

-Isekadoya’s Imperial Stout—Sexy latte-colored top, beautiful black body. Hops

and Malt. Light.

-Shiga Kogen’s IBA—black.

Bites throat. Hops. Long finish.

As I think back, there were actually foreign visitors from California and Scotland, so I had to order half pints of all of them again, except the MPA and the Godfather… for the Godfather, I took an additional pint. If you have never had a coriander beer, you need to send yourself off in search of one. I’ve only had 2 different ones, but they both shined!

It is important to note that Beer Belly is not just about the beers. Beer Belly is about the flavor and atmosphere.

Every time I see that big, beautiful pig leg, I order the Jamon Serano, as I did this day. And the fish is hand battered right after you order it, so grab an order of fish and chips.

This Beer Belly is considered to be British-style, and I have to say, I like it as the atmosphere really is top shelf.

The staff is friendly, as are the customers. If you have not been to Beer Belly, you should drop in for a Stout. Tell them Brian sent you. They are why I am the lush I am today.

minoh-beer.jp/spot/ourshop

Beer Facts

by Warren Wills

There’s often a negative image associated with the frothy head of a beer: too much foam is undesirable, too little and the beer is flat.

While there are cultural considerations to take in to ac-

count, here are some ways to make sure your beer is poured just right, no matter what country you are drinking in.

• Make sure the glass is dry and free of any residue such as skin oils or water; these can weaken the formation of a healthy beer head, making the beer more flat.

• Try to use a glass that has an etched widget at the bottom, ensuring proper release of carbonation.

• Pouring the first half of the beer at a 45 degree angle into the middle of the side, then the second half straight down is the best method.

• Using the proper glass will enable healthy head retention which protects the beer from losing hop oils,

fruit esters and other natural yeast flavors.

• The ideal head should be 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches in thickness.

Pouring unfiltered wheat or bottle fermented beers should be done carefully as they can over-foam and produce sediment or yeast, respectively.

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Intro to Craft Beer Styles

by POST MD

For many people unfamiliar with beer, beer is beer. However, this is truly not the case. There are many styles of craft beer to choose from when seeking out the specific flavor of liquid zen you would like to indulge.

When making beer, brewers can use one of two types of yeast to ferment the beer: ale or lager yeast.

Ale yeast ferments on the bottom of the wort that turns into beer.

Lager yeast ferments on the top of wort to produce beer. Because of this, beer can be broken down into two basic classifications of either ale or lager. Each issue we will look at several different styes of ales and lagers.

ALESPale Ale: One of the most popular styles of beer that is well hopped and maintains a floral or fruity aroma. Well malted pale ales will be balanced against the many different types of hops that can be selected to brew the beer’s flavor and aroma.

Examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Yo-ho’s Yona Yona Pale Ale. India Pale Ale (IPA): If you like the hoppiness of pale ales you will thoroughly enjoy the robust character of IPAs. IPAs are highly hopped, highly bitter, bold brews of bitterness. Brewers often use a variety of hops that offer citrus and piney aromas and flavor. Usually has higher alcohol content than pale ale.

Examples: Green Flash West Coast IPA, Shiga Kogen House IPA. Porter: Porters are not as light as a brown ale, but also not as dark as their Stout brethren. Highly roasted malts can offer smokier flavor’s and aromas.

Examples: Maui Coconut Porter, Shonan’s Chocolate Porter.

Stout: Stouts are the darkest of all the craft beers using roasted malt to develop the character. Guinness is the well known classic dry stout.

Flavors and aromas of stouts can

run from chocolate to coffee or from molasses to oatmeal.

Examples: Stone’s Russian Imperial Stout, Baird’s Morning Coffee Stout.

LAGERSPilsner: Generally light in color and light in flavor with a medium body and a crisp finish. Blueprint for beer that has been mass produced in America and around the world. Pilsner originally gets its name from the city it was brewed in and the high quality of water that was available there.

Examples: Rogue’s Morimoto Imperial Pilsner, Minoh Pilsner.

American Light Lagers: Lighter bodied beers and lightly hopped.

Often use adjuncts in place of barley. These are the beers that many individuals associate with America. Craft beer is working to change that.

Examples: Budweiser, Asahi.

NOTE: Imperial and Double are used interchangeably for higher alcohol content.

BEER ZEN BEER ZEN is published quarterly by the following:

EDITOR AND DESIGNER: POST MD WRITERS: Ajen Birmingham, Brian Burgess, Joseph Ferante, Phil Starecky, Jon Watkins, Warren Wills

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jared Cotton, Coy Koehler, POST MD

TRANSLATOR/SALES REP: Reiko Yasunami

WEBSITE: beerzenjournal.com

facebook.com/beerzen

FACEBOOK:

Pinterest: pinterest.com/beerzen CONTACT: Beerzenjournal@gmail.com

Photo credits and acknowledgements to: Anderson, Arthur B. Henning Arcitectural Records, Baird Brewery, Dogfish Head, Frauch Brewery, Golden Road Brewery, Laginitas, New Belgium Brewing, Redtail Media, Untapped App.

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"Every beer is like a mini vacation."

-A. Laurence