Lviv Ukrainian Beer Breweries

Pravda Beer Theater

Pravda Beer Theater is located at the northwest corner of Rynok Square. When we stopped by, they had a limited selection of their beers available on draft. They did, however, have quite a selection of bottles available. Bottles were available both cold for immediate consumption as well as for takeaway. They had their selection of political-leader themed beers, as well as a number of interesting brews. Pravda Beer Theater beers are also available at a number of other bars and gift shops around the city.

Pravda Beer Theater
Torhovyy Dim Tsipperiv, Rynok Square

Stargorod

Stargorod has an enormous beer hall and beer garden on the site of their brewery at the southeast of the main center. Their beers are German beer hall themed, with a collection of German beer styles available. They have a large menu of snacks and lunch/dinner dishes as well. The beer hall is open 24/7, though do note that it does seem that in the evenings, there is live entertainment that may be a bit more on the risque side.

Stargorod
Rymlyanyna St, 1

Kumpel

Kumpel is another very large beer hall, located right across Mytna Square from Stargorod.  Kumpel is also open 24/7, and is known for their large selections of local food offerings as well. They serve traditional beer styles as well as craft beers. Their beers are also available at a number of their restaurants around town as well.

Kumpel on the Mytna Square
Volodymyra Vynnychenka St, 6

Other Ukrainian Beer Breweries in Lviv

Tsypa – Stefana Yavorskoho Square, 1 — Tsypa has been brewing traditional beers since 2015. From the small village of Kvasy in the Hutsul region of Carpathian Ukraine, they are now also located in Lviv.

Royal Brewery – Староєврейська вулиця, 9 — Beer was an important part of the old royal customs of Lviv, and the tradition continues at the Royal Brewery in Lviv.
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Lviv Ukrainian Beer Bars

Alongside the beer halls and brewpubs mentioned above, Lviv also has a nice collection of craft beer pubs. Most of the pubs focus on Ukrainian beer. Though a few also offered other beers imported from around the world.

Varka

Varka is a nice craft beer bar located at the northwest end of the city center, headed towards the opera hall. They offer eight taps of local Ukrainian beers as well as a decent selection of bottled beers as well.  Prices are quite reasonable…around $1.50 – $3.00 for a 0.33 l bottle or 0.3 l draft.

Varka Craft Beer Bar
Корнякта, 1

Choven / Човен

Choven seems to be one of the most popular craft beer bars in Lviv. We encountered quite a crowd on a Tuesday evening but were lucky to find a seat inside. The outside seating seems to be closed after 10 PM. Choven has 16 taps of mostly Ukrainian craft beers, with a nice variety of breweries and styles available.

Choven
Virmens’ka St, 33

Other Ukrainian Beer Bars in Lviv

Drunken Duck – Brativ Rohatyntsiv St, 45, 9 taps of craft beer and a patio.

Bierlin Lemberg – Chaikovs’koho Street, 18 12-15 taps of mostly Ukranian beers, all served at 0.5l for very affordable prices.

Beer Set – Open since June 16 at Kniazia Romana St, 6. This is a shop that also seems to have a nice selection of taps inside.

Beer Stone – Pekarska Street, 34 A good beer selection of local beers as well as local menu options.

Have you visited Lviv? What’s your favorite spot to grab local brews? We’re looking forward to hopefully going back again in a few months and adding more options!

Where to Stay in Lviv, Ukraine

There are lots of reasonably priced places within a few minutes walk of the center of Lviv. We booked the Etude Art Hotel. This hotel has 19 rooms with three different categories. We weren’t aware we booked the cheapest “economy,” but it was enough room for two people, had free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and the rate included breakfast as well. We used Uber between the airport and the hotel, and it’s even closer to the train station. There is English speaking staff on site as well.

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Here are some of the top craft beer bars in Tokyo, which I tried to break out by neighborhood.

Craft Beer Meguro / Ebisu

Nakameguro Taproom

This is the first Tokyo taproom for Baird Brewing Company of Numazu. Mostly serving their own beers, but a large selection to choose from, including limited releases and seasonal offerings. Plenty of seating is available, and a decent selection of craft pizza and other food offerings as well.

Hatos Bar

TBE Brewing

Craft Beer Shibuya / Harajuku

Goodbeer Faucets

Goodbeer Faucets is one of the largest craft beer bars in Tokyo. 40 taps and three handpumps pour craft beers from Japanese and foreign brewers. The staff is quite knowledgeable about the beers on offer as well. Look for their happy hours from Sunday – Thursday.

Goodbeer Faucets
1-29-1 Shōtō
松濤1-29-1
Shibuya, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Thursday 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Friday 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM, Saturday 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Sunday 3:00 AM – 11:00 PM.

Craftheads

An excellent selection of craft beers from Japan and America on their 20 taps, or by bottle. Prices are a little higher than average, but you can often find some difficult to obtain beers here. A decent bourbon selection and American-style pub fare as well.

Mikkeller Tokyo

Located up a bit of a hill, Mikkeller Tokyo offers 20 taps of Mikkeller, Japanese, and Foreign beers, with a hip Danish vibe. Some of the beers available on draft are rather hard to find, so it’s always worth checking out their beers on tap. Mikkeller also puts on the Mikkeller Beer Celebration Tokyo, which brings some of the world’s best brewers together for two days of craft beer heaven.

Mikkeller Bar
2-19-11 Dōgenzaka
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Thursday, 3:00 PM – 12:30 AM. Friday 3:00 PM – 1:30 AM. Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:30 AM. Sunday 12:00 PM – 12:30 AM.

ØL by Oslo Brewing Co.

Gau’s

The Aldgate

A large selection of Japanese and British craft beers (along with the occasional other location) on offer from 20 taps in this British-style pub.

The Aldgate
3F 30-4 Udagawa-cho Shibuya-ku
Shibuya, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM, Saturday & Sunday 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Under Craft

A small basement izakaya bar and taproom for Spring Valley beers (owned by Kirin) located in the busy center shopping streets of Shibuya. With no smoking and no cover charge, a good place to duck in for a quick, cheap beer to get away from the crowded streets above.

Under Craft
26-9 Udagawacho Shibuya-ku Tokyo-to
東京都 渋谷区 宇田川町 26-9 メトロビル B1F

Hours: Monday – Saturday 3:00 PM – 3AM, Sunday 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Gremlin

Swanlake Pub Edo Cafe De Tete Shibuya

Beers from Swan Lake Beer of Niigata Prefecture along with other beers from Japan and around the world. Locations as well in Tamachi and Yaesu.

Villa Tanaka 1st Floor 46-9 Oyama Town, Shibuya- ku,  Tokyo 151-0065

Baird Harajuku Taproom

Another outpost of Baird Brewery in Tokyo since 2009, their Harajuku location features 15 taps and two hand-pumps and izakaya-style snacks (we had the Yakitori which was quite tasty). The Harajuku Taproop offers a lively atmosphere and diverse beer selection from Baird, both core beers and seasonals. The bar is located a very short walk from Harajuku station.

Baird Harajuku Taproom
2F 1-20-13 Jingu-mae
神宮前1-20-13
Shibuya, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Saturday & Sunday 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Craft Beer Shinjuku

Watering Hole

21 rotating taps featuring Japanese and import beers, and a decent food selection. One of the more popular craft beer bars in Tokyo, operating since 2012.

Watering Hole
5-26-5 Sendagaya
千駄ヶ谷5-26-5
Shibuya, Tokyo

Hours: Open daily from 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Tap Stand Craft Beer & Pizza

Tap Stand offers 22 taps nearby to the JR Line Shinjuku Station. The taps typically offer both Japanese and American craft beers. And naturally, pizzas round out the food side of the venue.

Tap Stand Craft Beer & Pizza
新宿3-35-3 森治ビル1F
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Daily 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Y.Y.G Brewery & Beer Kitchen

YYG Brewery is located in the Yoyogi area, between Yoyogi Park and Shinjuku. The brewery has a nice restaurant and an outdoor deck where you can enjoy their self-brewed and guest craft beer offerings. Their beers are more US styles: hoppy pale ales and IPAs.

Y.Y.G. Brewery & Beer Kitchen
代々木2丁目18番3号
Shibuya, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM, Saturday 12:00 PM – 11:30 PM, Sunday 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

Vector Beer

Brussels Beer Project Shinjuku

Yona Yona Beer Works

Yo Ho Brewing operates a number of taprooms across Tokyo where you can enjoy some of the brewery’s fine range of craft beers. They are typically pouring their core range, as well as special limited releases.

Bakushu Kobo Takadanobaba

One of a series of Bakushu Kobo brewpubs, and the only one within the JR Yamanote line circle. Bakushu Kobo is a small craft brewery from Koenji in the western expanse of Tokyo. Sample Bakush Kobo craft beers as well as izakaya-style pub fare.

Bakushu Kobo
恒 栄 ビル 1F, 1 Chome-29-2 Takadanobaba
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to 169-0075

Hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM, Sunday 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

Craft Beer Ikebukuru / Toshima

Vivo! beer + dining bar

Kraft Work

PUMP Craft Beer Bar

Titans Craft Beer Taproom & Bottle Shop

A partnership between two beer importers who rotate their beers between the 10 taps. Some Japanese beers available as well. They also sell bottles which you can drink on-site for a corkage charge. When we visited, they had a tap takeover by Omnipollo going. A nice place to stop for a beer after a ramen pilgrimage to Nakiyru.

Titans Craft Beer Taproom & Bottle Shop
3-53-7 Minamiotsuka
南大塚3-53-7
Toshima, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Sunday 3:00 PM – 9:30 PM.

Craft Beer Ueno / Sumida / Adachi (Asakusa)

Craft Works

The World End

Campion Ale

Campion Ale is a British-style brewpub located in Asakusa. Enjoy British beer styles served in British measures, alongside British pub fare.

Campion Ale
西浅草2-2-2
Taito-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM. Saturday & Sunday 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM. Closed Monday.

Popeye Craft Beer Tokyo

The godfather of Tokyo craft beer bars. In operation for over 30 years, and serving up 70+ taps on any given night, now including from their own brewery. The downside of this heritage is that the bar is often extremely busy. We lucked out on our visit getting a table right by one of the windows where we were able to sample a nice selection of Japanese craft beers.

Popeye Beer Club Tokyo
両国2-18-7
Sumida, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Sunday.

Sakazuki Brewing

Sakazuki Brewing is located further to the north in Kita-Senju. It’s the first crowdfunded brewpub in Japan. They have four taps dedicated to the own beers, and one dedicated to Asahi, where their brewer honed his brewing skills. They also have a nice seating area looking out over the brewery.

Sakazuki Brewing
千住旭町11-10
Adachi-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 4:00 PM – 10:30 PM. Saturday 1:00 PM – 10:30 PM, Sunday 1:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Beer Ma

Formerly known as World Beer Market, they’ve moved and opened this Bar / Bottle shop, “Beer Mania”, on the other side of Kita-Senju Station. Two rotating taps and a large selection of bottles. No seating.

Beer Ma
千住2-62
Adachi-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Wednesday & Friday – Saturday, 2:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Closed Thursday, Sunday 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Craft Beer Chiyoda / Chuo (Marunouchi, Ginza, Akihabra, Kanda, Tsukiji)

Hop Scotch Craft Beer & Whisky

Located near Iidabashi station, Hop Scotch has been serving up craft beer and whisky since 2015. They have eight taps that rotate through Japanese and American craft beers regularly. Decent bar snacks are available as well.

Hop Scotch Craft Beer & Whisky
Inoue Building 1F
2-2-11 Fujimi
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday, 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM. Saturday 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM.

Delirium Cafe Tokyo

The Brussels-based Guinness Book of World’s Records holder for the number of beers available also runs a couple of bars in Tokyo. While they don’t have anywhere near the 2000+ beers available in their Brussels Delirium Cafe, they do have a decent selection of mainly Belgian beers both on draft and in bottles. They also have a bottle shop available for take-away bottles. There are a few locations now around the city, including in Shinjuku (Petit Delirium), Akasaka (Delirium Reserve), Ginza, and Ebisu.

Delirium Cafe Tokyo
霞ヶ関3-2-6 東京倶楽部ビル1階 霞ダイニング
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Tuesday, 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM. Wednesday – Thursday 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM. Friday 11:30 AM – 3:00 AM. Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM. Sunday Closed.

Petit Delirium Cafe

Delirium Cafe Reserve

Delirium Cafe Ebisu The Roast

Delirium Cafe Ginza

Beer Ma Kanda

A Kanda location of Tokyo’s premier bottle shop.

DevilCraft Kanda

Open since 2001, DevilCraft Kanda has 14 rotating taps from their own brewery, Japan, and import brewers. They serve Chicago deep-dish pizzas as well in their small, two level seating area. There are two additional locations, in Hamamatsucho and Gotanda.

DevilCraft Kanda
東京都中央区日本橋室町4-2-3 石川ビル 1F～5F(4-2-3 Nihonbashi-Muromachi)
Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Sunday 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

TAPxTAP Kanda

Twenty taps rotate a selection of Japanese craft beers and some more mainstream imports. A very nice selection, with reasonable prices. They also had food on offer, but we had just finished a wonderful yakitori dinner before visiting.

TAPxTAP Kanda
2-9-18 Kajicho
鍛冶町2－9－18
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM, Saturday 1:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Sunday Closed.

Wiz Craft Beer and Food

Hitachino Brewing Lab (two Locations)

Tokyo is home to two taprooms of Kiuchi Brewery of Ibaraki Prefecture, who have been brewing the Hitachino Nest beers since 1996.

The main tasting room is also their local brewing operation, located in Kanda, just across the river from Akihabara. There are 10 taps, with both core beers as well as special releases from their Brew Lab line of Hitachino Nest beers. This riverfront location offers a nice seating area, a cool vibe, and views over the Kanda River.

Their other tasting room is on the roof of Tokyo Station’s GranSta shopping center, and has 10 taps and bottles of the Hitachino Nest beer line.

Hitachino Brewing Lab Kanda
神田須田町1-25-4 N1区画
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachino Brewing Lab Tokyo Station
GRANROOF 2F
1-9-1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku

Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Craft Beer Market (multiple locations)

A chain of popular craft beer bars located around the Tokyo area — there are 10 locations in all, six in the central city. Each location has a large selection of around 30 different beers on tap and decent food. One of the main differentiators of Craft Beer Market vs. the competition is their reasonable prices.

Craft Beer Market – Toranomon
西新橋1-23-3 SAグレイスビル１F
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Saturday & Sunday

Craft Beer Market – Jimbocho Terrace
千代田区Kanda Nishikichō, 3 Chome−22, テラススクエア １F
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday 4:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Sunday.

Craft Beer Market – Jimbocho
神田神保町2-11-15
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Sunday.

Craft Beer Market – Awajicho
神田司町2-9-1 第一高田ビル 1F
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Saturday & Sunday

Craft Beer Market – Kanda
鍛冶町1-7-5 MISU BLDS KANDA 1F
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday & Sunday 11:30 AM – 11:30 PM

Craft Beer Market – Mitukoshimae
日本橋室町1-5-5 COREDO室町3 1F
Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday & Sunday 11:00 AM – 11:30 PM

Swan Lake Pub Edo Yaesu

Pub with 32 taps, featuring beers from Swan Lake Beer of Niigata Prefecture along with other beers from Japan and around the world. Check out their weekday happy hour.

Swan Lake Pub Edo Yaesu
Yaesu 5th, 5th Building 1F in Yaesu 
八重洲五の五ビル1F, 重洲2-6-5
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028

Hours: Monday – Friday 1:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM. Closed Sunday

Towers Craft Beer Bar

One of Tokyo’s classic beer bars, dating back to 2004. Recently moved from it’s tiny old location to a new location near Kachidoki station.

Towers Craft Beer Bar
Lim月島 2F, 月島4-18-2, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday-Friday, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM, Saturday & Sunday, 3:00PM – 8:00 PM

Craft Beer Bar iBrew
Craft Beer iBrew Wired

Two bars a few doors apart from each other, each with 10 rapidly rotating taps. Serve food as well.

Craft Beer Bar iBrew
八重洲2-11-7 東栄（旧ます美）ビル1Ｆ
Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Daily 1:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Gorigori Burger Taproom

This American burger joint features a football theme and 13 taps of Japanese and import craft beers. The burgers are the key, and they may close early if they run out of burgers.

Gorigori Burger Taproom
1 Chome-2-3 Nishiazabu
西麻布1-2-3-1F
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday, 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM. Saturday & Sunday. 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM.

Craft Beer Minato (Odaiba, Shimbashi, Shiodome, Hamamatsucho, Akasaka, Roppongi)

Shinshu Osake Mura

This is the Nagano prefecture satellite store, and literally translate to Shinshu Alcohol Village. Selection of beers (Shiga Kogen) and sake from Nagano with excellent prices.

Shinshu Osake Mura
1F Shimbashi Ekimae Building, 2-20-15 Shimbashi
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM. Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM. Closed Sunday.

Shimbashi DRY-DOCK

On the Table by Goodbeer Faucets

DevilCraft Hamamatsucho

DevilCraft Hamamatsucho
Hamamatsucho 2-13-12
Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 105-0013

Hours: Monday – Friday, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday 12:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Swan Lake Pub Edo Tamachi

Similar to the Yaesu location, with 18 taps. Small seating area with a good selection of both Swan Lake and guest taps.

Swan Lake Pub Edo Tamachi
Shiba 5-21-15 1F
芝5-21-15 芝三勝ビル 1Ｆ
Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014

Hours: Monday – Friday 4:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Saturday 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Closed Sunday

Craft Meat

BrewDog Bar Roppongi

The Tokyo location of this popular Scottish brewery. Mostly Brew Dog beers available, but there are some local guest beers on their 20 taps.

BrewDog Bar Roppongi
六本木5-3-2 齋藤ビル 1F
Saito Building 1F
5-3-2 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Saturday & Sunday 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Two Dogs Taproom

25 taps serving up American and Japanese craft beers in this American-themed craft beer sports bar in Roppongi.

Two Dogs Taproom
Aries Building, 2F
東京都 港区. 六本木3-15-24アリエスビル2F
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Open weekdays for lunch, 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Evenings: Sunday – Monday, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Tuesday – Wednesday 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Thursday 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM, Friday 5:30 PM – 3:00 AM, Saturday 5:30 PM – 2:00 AM

Ant ‘n Bee

21 taps of all Japanese craft beers, including an excellent selection of harder to find brews. Open late, usually to 6AM. Downside is smoking is allowed, and the prices are on the higher side, even for Tokyo.

Ant ‘n Bee
六本木5-1-5
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Daily 5:00 PM – 6:00 AM

Lush Life

Craft Beer Shinagawa

T.Y. Harbor

Tokyo’s oldest brewpub, T.Y. Harbor and Restaurant is located on Tennozu Isle in Shinagawa, with views over Tokyo Bay. They offer five year-round beers and a seasonal offering from their own brewery, as well as an additional two guest taps. They also offer a full food menu and both bottles and growlers to go. You can try their beers in the restaurant and craft beer bar, or the River Lounge

T.Y. Harbor
東品川 2-1-3
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hours:
Craft Beer Bar: Monday – Friday, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
River Lounge: Monday – Friday, 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Saturday & Sunday, 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM

DevilCraft Gotanda

DevilCraft Gotanda
西五反田2-7-8 誠實（せいじつ）ビル 9F
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Sunday 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Craftsman Gotanda

This bar features over 30 taps of hard-to-find Japanese craft beers and imports. Prices are quite reasonable. Food is available as well.

Craftsman
1F Grace Gotanda, 2-18-3 Nishigotanda
西五反田2-18-3 グレイス五反田1F
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hours: Daily 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Tokyo Bay

Roti’s House / Harvestmoon Brewery

For travelers to Tokyo Disney Resort, there are limited options for craft beer bars nearby. But if you’re looking for some locally-brewed craft beers, you don’t need to head any further from Disney than Ikspiari, the shopping area at Tokyo Disney Resort and Maihama Station. Located on the fourth floor, this large brewpub serves up seven taps of their award-winning beers, from both their core range of German-inspired beers as well as seasonal and one-off brews. A full range of food is also available, with their rotisserie menu being their most popular dishes.

Roti’s House Harvestmoon Brewery
〒279-8529 千葉県浦安市舞浜1-4 イクスピアリ4F シェフス･ロウ
Ikspiari – 4F – Chef’s Row

Hours: Daily 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM (last order 10:00 PM)

Antenna Stores

In addition to the bars mentioned above, one place I would recommend visiting to find Japanese craft beers would be the various antenna stores found throughout Tokyo. There is an antenna store for each region of Japan located here in the capital, each of which carries a variety of local products from the prefecture. While not every store carried craft beers, we managed to pick up a nice selection of beers from most of the prefecture antenna stores we visited.

Many of these stores are located in the Ginza / Yurakcho neighborhoods, with 14 in the Tokyo Koutsu Kaikan building near Yurakcho station alone!

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If you’re like us and have been following the recent wildfires that have been plaguing California, you may be wondering what you can do to help. Sierra Nevada Brewery, from Chico, California, the next town over from fire-ravaged Paradise, is working with over 400 breweries to simultaneously brew a beer to support the victims.

Sierra Nevada Resilience Butte County Proud IPA is being brewed on November 27, 2018, and they have called on every brewery in the country to make their own version of the beer. And the best part is that 100% of all proceeds going to the Camp Fire Relief Fund to support the wildfire recovery efforts in California. Sierra Nevada is working with suppliers of the beer ingredients, malt, hops, and yeast, to secure donations of the raw materials to produce the beer, and asking all brewers to join in on the brewing effort and to also donate 100% of their proceeds from the beer to the relief effort as well.

So far, over 400 breweries from across the United States have signed on to support the project, with more signing up daily. They have also secured a commitment from five malt suppliers and five hop suppliers, as well as at least one yeast supplier. They will be adding wholesalers and retailers to the list soon.

“On November 8, the Camp Fire broke out near the town of Paradise, California, and within minutes raged through the community, obliterating a football field per second of everything in its path, destroying nearly 10,000 homes, killing many residents and leveling the town of 27,000 people,” Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., explained in his letter. “Although Chico and the Sierra Nevada brewery were spared, the Camp Fire has devastated neighboring communities where many of our employees lived.”

Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa had its own close call experience with wildfires recently, and not surprisingly, they are one of the breweries that have signed on and are pledging their support. It is expected the Resilience beer should reach stores and bars by early 2019. Be sure to continue checking the list of participating brewers, which Sierra Nevada is updating daily. And, be sure to support this welcomed effort by purchasing your Resilience when it hits store shelves next year!

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Available for tasting at lat year’s event were the 3 Fonteinen Lambic, Oude Geuze, Oude Kriek, and Faro as well as the Beersel Blond, Lager and Zwet.be.  I had to partake of a Faro here, as they don’t bottle this for normal sale.  The Faro seems to be usually available only in the 3 Fonteinen Restaurant located next door.  Faro is a lambic blended with caramel and candied sugar.  It retains the normal sourness of a lambic, but with a nice sweetness that makes it quite smooth.  These beers are usually short lived, only three to four weeks in the bottle, as the added sugars result in very active fermentation that could make the bottle explode!

For the bottles for purchase in the store, the following options were available:

Beers available for purchase at 3 Fonteinen Brewery

3 Fonteinen

Oude Geuze 0.375 L €2.50
Oude Geuze 0.75 L €4.45
Golden Blend Oude Geuze 0.375 L €8.00
Oude Kriek 0.375 L €3.85
Schaarbeekse Kriek 0.75L €12.00

Armand D4 2010 Limited Edition Oude Geuze 0.75 L €24 each for Autumn, Summer and Winter.
Spring is only available as part of the limited edition (500) collector’s box at €110.00

Horal’s Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2011 0.75 L €7.00

Beersel

Blond 0.33 L €1.25
Lager 0.33 L €1.15
Zwet.be 0.33 L €1.75

Special Offerings during 3 Fonteinen Open Beer Days (2012)

Oude Geuze Vintage 2003 0.75 L €24.00 (max 1)
Oude Geuze Vintage 2005 0.75 L €17.00 (max 1)
Oude Geuze Vintage 2008 0.75 L €10.00 (max 6)
Oude Geuze Vintage 2008 0.375 L €6.00 (max 6)

Doesjel Vintage 2006 0.75 L  €7.00 (max 6)
Doesjel Vintage 2010 0.375 L €4.00 (max 6)

Oude Kriek 2006 0.375 L € 6.00 (max 1)
Schaarbeekse Kriek 2006 0.75 L € 20.00 (max 1)
Schaarbeekse Kriek 2008 0.75 L € 15.00 (max 6)

Straffe Winter 0.75 L € 34.00 (max 1)

The 2013 Open Beer Days were held from Thursday, September 5 through Monday, September 9, 2013.  Much of their offerings were same as from 2012, however there was less to choose from.

The 2014 Open Beer Days were held from Thursday, September 4 through Monday, September 8, 2014.  Much less to choose from than 2013 even. They were considering a focus on special beer-tasting dinners throughout the year, but I’m not sure if those continued. Hoping for more selection in 2015…

The 2015 Open Beer Days will be held from Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7, 2015.  If you’re looking to pick up a few of the rare older bottles, try to get there on Thursday or Friday, as quantities are often limited and they run out of choice vintages fast!

If you’re driving to 3 Fonteinen, they’re off Exit 19 on the R0 Ring Brussels.

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
lambik-o-droom
Molenstraat 47
1651 Lot
http://www.3fonteinen.be

Restaurant 3 Fonteinen
Herman Tierlinckplein 3
1650 Beersel
+32 (0)2  331 06 52

Last week, Erin and I were in Bologna, Italy for the BlogVille project, sharing an apartment with a great group of travel bloggers from the US (Oregon), Australia, and Venezuela.  Up until one of the last nights, my search for beer had not been very thorough. I do have to admit that I got caught up in the tradition of enjoying some of the wines of Emilia Romagna with our meals, and we’d been too tired most nights to do much in the way of going out to look for a pub to enjoy a beer in the evening. I did see a few beers around that I want to go back and try, and managed to try a couple craft beers in Ferrara at the Eco + Food Festival we attended, so I was hopeful that I’d have a chance to experience the beer culture in Bologna before we had to leave.

Apologize in advance for the lack of quality photos — Erin had the good camera with her as she was scheduled to do an interview with a local chef!

Sadly, on Monday, our initial group of six was breaking up, as Bethany and Ted from twoOregonians and Michael from Time Travel Turtle were leaving to continue on their journeys.  As Sunday was to be our last night together, and hearing there was a craft beer festival in town, we decided to head out and see what was on offer.  Michael, Bianca from Nomadiba and I wandered down to the university area of town, to where the Festival Dei Birrai Eretici was being held in a collection of pubs and cafes on the via Mascarella.

The establishments taking part in the Festival (and their offerings) were:

Lortica
Via Mascarella 26
+39 051 5876455

Birrificio Del Ducato, Roncole Verdi di Busetto (PR), Italy, Via Emilia – 4.8% Classic German Pilsener, slightly hazy blonde color. Fruity and slightly peppery. Pleasantly bitter and refreshing.

Birrificio Del Ducato, Victoria Light IPA – 3.5% American Pale Ale. Clear, light and fun-loving. Strong character given by dry hopping from American and German hops.

Birrificio Del Ducato, AFO – 5.4% American Pale Ale. For those obsessed with hops – 9 different types to get this Pale Ale with a complex and intriguing bouquet.

Birrificio Del Ducato, New Morning – 5.8% Belgian Saison style, created to celebrate the spring. Golden and slightly veiled, particularly spicy, with aroma of wildflowers, green pepper and ginger.

Vecchia Orsa, Crevalcore (BO), Italy, Saison – 5.5% Dry and refreshing Saison. Very spicy and slightly fruity bouqet.

Menaresta, Carate Brianza (MI), Italy, Flora Sambuco – 4.8% Spice/Herb/Vegetable Style, brewed with Elder Flowers. Intense, strongly characterized by the elder, fresh and fragrant, supported by a good bitter taste.

Left Hand, Longmont, Colorado, USA, Wake Up Dead Barrel-Aged – 10.2% Russian Imperial Stout exaggerated and uncompromising, peculiarly American. 12 months in barrel. Rare and not to be missed.

Ridgeway, Reading, England, Bad King John – 6% Stout, dark but not impenetrable. Tied to the ancient British traditions. The aroma and taste are dominated by liquorice and toffee.

De Ranke, Dottenijs, Belgium, XX Bitter – 6.2% The most bitter of the Belgian Ales. The explosion of noble hops in the nose, fine structure balanced by malt and Belgian spice, giving it an unmistakable rustic touch.

Hardknott, Millom, England, Cool Fusion – 4.4% Pale ale for those who love ginger spices.

Birrificio Italiano, Lurago Marinone (CO), Italy, Vùdù – 5.5% Dunkel Weizen. German style, uncompromising, spicy and refreshing, well-structured body.

Emiliano, Anzola Nell’Emilia, Italy, Forum Gallorum – 5% Inspired by the beers of Cologne.

Girardin, Sint Ulriks-Kapelle, Belgium, Black Label – 5% Geuze, A blend of lambics of different vintages. Wild and refreshing, well-carbonated with citrus notes.

Dark Star, Horsham, England, Old Chestnut – 4% Old Ale, Light in alcohol content but rich in flavor, from wood to dry fruit. Served in a cask, English to the core.

Modo
Via Mascarella 24/b
+39 051 5871012

St. Peter’s, Bungay, England, Cream Stout – 6.5% Stout. Soft and elegant, very balanced.

Centokiodi, Bologna, Italy, Sveltina – 5% Cream Ale. The slender body makes it a very drinkable bitter beer.

Bruton, San Cassiano di Moriano (Lucca), Italy, Lilith – 5.5% American Pale Ale, Tuscan version, for strong palates.

De La Senne, Brussels, Belgium, Taras Boulba – 5% Belgian Ale, lower alcohol content, with a high bitter content.

Au Allertau, Germany, Weisse – 5% German wheat beer, straight from Bavaria. Banana and clove characterize the traditional bouquet.

Moustache
Via Mascarella 5/a
+39 051 235424

De La Senne, Zinnebir – 6% Belgian Ale, Sister of Taras Boulba, shares the bitter elegance and innovative spirit.

Brewfist, Codogno, Italy, Fear – 5.2% Sweet Stout. For those who are afraid of the dark beers. Cream and cocoa beans make for a sweet and soft palate. Romantic.

Gwatkin, Hereford, England, Golden Cider – 5% Cider in the best Anglo-Saxon tradition.

Cantina Bentivoglio
Via Mascarella 4/B
+39 051 265416

Rurale, Certosa di Pavia, Italy, Seta – 5% Blanche-style Belgian wheat beer. Clear and slightly veiled. Spiced with orange peel and coriander.

Menaresta, Felina – 7.5% Beer with a beautiful amber color, full and enveloping tones of cinnamon spice and ripe fruit.

Birrificio Italiano, Tipopils – 5.2% Classic German Pilsener. The founder of Italian pils, distinguished from its German sisters with a more slender body and more explosive aroma, herbal and peppery.

Bon Secours, Péruwelz, Belgium, Triple – 9% Golden. Dry and floral. Elegant final alcohol.

Bravo Caffe’
Via Mascarella 1
+39 051 266112

Revelation Cat/Mikkeller, Copenhagen, Denmark, Cream Ale – 5% Inspired by traditional pre-Prohibition American blonde, it breaks the boundaries of style, being more bitter and more fragrant.

Cremeria Mascarella
Via Mascarella 30
+39 051 263236

Granita of Craft Beer

Twenty-seven beers in total as part of the festival, and fourteen of them were from Italy, and none of them named Peroni!

I was very happy to see the high concentration of Italian craft beers as part of the festival, with more than half of the total selection coming from Italy.  And the styles of beers presented by Italian craft brewers showed a nice diversity.

Unfortunately, the Bravo Caffe’ was closed already when we arrived, so we did not get to try the Revelation Cat/Mikkeller Cream Ale.  We passed by Moustache and Cantina Bentivoglio but they were quiet and empty, and we wanted to be more in a crowd.  We found L’Ortica, where not only was there a nice mix of people, but we also managed to snag a table out on the patio where we settled in for the next few hours.

Over the course of the evening, I tried the Via Emilia, Cool Fusion, Old Chestnut, Flora Sambuco and Wake Up Dead.  I wanted to try a few of the other Italian beers, but two of the taps were on rotation, and neither Saison was available, the AFO available instead (which I had already tried), and the Vùdù and Forum Gallorum being off the tap in favor of the Cool Fusion.  AFO and Bad King John also found their way to the table, and I did take a small taste of the Bad King John when it arrived.

I loved the beers I did try, especially the Old Chestnut, Flora Sambuco and Cool Fusion.  The Wake Up Dead was good, but had a bit too much alcohol taste for me.  According to Bianca, this would be a great beer for marinating meat with.

Next door to L’Ortica is Modo and we discovered it was quite interesting as well — nice crowd and also a good beer selection – offering a one-two punch for a night out in Bologna. I would definitely suggest making 24 and 26 Via Mascarella your places to stop when you’re out for a beer.  And I would definitely suggest giving the Italian craft beer selections a chance, as they are quite good, and show that there is definitely a growing beer community in Italy.  Granted, not as strong as the wine community, but certainly not something to ignore for the future.

Tonight’s beer, the Echigo Blonde Ale, came from Land Brauerie Echigo-Bräu from Nigata, Japan. The Blonde comes in a white 350ml can with gold and red print and a ram’s head in the center. This is a classic Blonde Ale / Golden Ale, with 5% ABV. The beer poured with a deep, golden color, almost amber. It started with a nice head, but that very quickly disappeared, leaving no trace it was ever there. The beer also did not offer up much in the way of an aroma. Perhaps this was due to the beer coming straight from the fridge, as I definitely feel I served this one way too cold.

The first tastes of the beer did not amount to much, again, not a surprise due to the temperature. Initially, the carbonation itself was all I felt on my taste buds, without any actual flavors. I was drinking this along with some home made kushikatsu (Japanese-style, deep-fried pork skewers), and do have to admit, after a minute or two, the beer, chilled in beer cellar cooling, seemed to go very well with the panko-crumb coating and tonkatsu sauce. At this point, the flavors started to come out a bit, with some malty, fruity sweetness. Nothing special, but drinkable.

Would I go go out of my way to order this beer if I saw it on a menu? Probably not. But this one was enough that I’d take the time to try some other offerings from the brewery, and wouldn’t pass up another in a pinch. I would still gladly choose this beer over most of the large breweries, especially if I have the time to let it sit a few minutes to reach the proper temperature.