It's been mostly raining, plus a typhoon passing by the week i was in Tokyo, the weather was obviously less than ideal for moving about but it's Tokyo, there's no way rainy days would stop one from going out.
This trip is more of a visiting friend's places/familiar places trip rather than trying to venture out to new/never been places, partly because it's been a little while since i last came, the other is perhaps rainy days do discourage a little the urge to explore unfamiliar places while holding an umbrella.
涉谷站前人行道是世界上最常被人拍或上传的街道，是每次来东京一定会走几回的闹区，这里有想去的专卖吧，离住的地方也不远，非常方便，虽然到的那星期几乎天天下雨，还是没阻止在涉谷走走看看喝喝兴致。
作为（个人觉得）亚洲craft选择最多的城市，东京周遭不缺专卖吧和瓶子店，如果以JR山手线为中心点，绝大多数车站附近都有能喝到买到craft的店，涉谷更有不少选择，个人来说，这次主要因为东京<米吧>和每次来总会去的Craftheads 而行走涉谷。
This piece is about a few places in Shibuya, basically all very close, within walking distance from the station's Hachiko exit direction. For those who are not familiar with Tokyo craft beer scene, there's quite a lot of craft beer bars/bottle shops that's reachable just using the "center circle line" of JR YAMANOTE LINE, of which Shibuya station is one of the key stations along the line, and one station/area frequented every time when in town.
Mikkeller Tokyo
the first stop in Tokyo for first beer started with Mikkeller Tokyo, i have been to the old bar before but have yet to visit this "reborn" version until now.
if you are not aware, Mikkeller Tokyo did went through a turbulence of sorts after opening about 2 years ago at another area of Shibuya also not far off from the station, that old version was a joint venture with a coffee/cocktail operator originating from Scandinavia, after opening for less than a year( if memory don't play tricks), the partnership broken off unexpectedly in somewhat dramatic circumstances, with that, for quite sometime, Mikkeller Tokyo was operating gypsy style, moving from one place to another, sometimes in an open area of a market place, sometimes at friendly parties places, sometimes at festivals and so on so forth, it was quite a trying time but the Tokyo team did the hard work of carrying the flags flying until this new bar finally opened.
东京“米吧”
在亚洲，米吧目前有4个据点，曼谷，首尔，新加坡，东京。
东京米吧可说出师不利，现在位于涉谷道玄坂的酒吧其实是“再生版”，大约两年前开在涉谷另一个地点的旧吧因为跟经营咖啡鸡尾酒吧的北欧合伙人出现严重分歧，只能草草结业。
没有了据点，东京米吧有好长一段时间以流动摊子或借用别人店面方式继续经营存在感，
那样子过了一年左右，新酒吧在旧址另一端一栋旧建筑，这次开在道玄坂的米吧选在一条趣味性的横巷里，从涉谷车站八忠犬方向走来大概10到15分钟，巷内有着不少风月店，时钟酒店，小餐馆，还有神社，去的那晚跟恰好人在东京的曼谷米吧<楼上餐厅>灵魂人物主厨Dan和打理前场营运的另一半Fay约了见面，他和她到了之后说，“一路走着感觉好奇怪，脑中疑问浮现，会开在这样氛围的一个地方吗？“，其实，风月红灯气息之外，新米吧就开在横巷拐弯处神社斜对面，大家各适其所，就算夜里独自一人走在这里也没什么好担心。
The new bar is located at Dogenzaka area of Shibuya, a short walk from the station, this is a relatively interesting area where one can see love hotels/adults services shops/small restaurants line along side each others, Mikkeller Tokyo is located right next to a shrine by the turn of corner, walking here at night for the first time makes it's that much more interesting. That evening i was meeting up with the heart and souls of beer pairing casual fine dining place--Upstairs Mikkeller Bangkok click for more, chef Dan & Fay who happened to be in town here at Mikkeller Tokyo, and the "joke" was when finding their way in from the main road, Fay was asking Dan about the validity of the new bar being housed in such an area, " is this the correct area? would Mikkeller Bar locate in such an area?"...:)
理论上，米吧可说是连锁店模式，但除了店面设计比如用色比如啤酒泵手把比如使用木材有些统一性之外，亚洲不同城市米吧都各有特质，从酒吧地点到选酒到餐点都大不相同，比如东京米吧主理人Hamilton就开玩笑的投诉“一些去过曼谷米吧的都问我，花园呢？这里怎么没有花园？”
东京米吧当然没有曼谷那样开在旧式洋楼有自己花园，作为“再生版”，东京米吧给人印象是已经比旧吧更让人感觉到米吧特点，包括不同友好酿坊选择，到新吧第一晚碰上米吧和Cantillon 日本进口商合作搞小型品酒会，共7款不同风味酸啤酒，再看酒吧当天选酒，抛开现址街坊趣味不说，感觉已比旧吧良好。
The "reborn"version of the new bar is certainly located in a more interesting area compared to the old one, as for the bar itself, it is housed in an old building, bar and taps are visible to anyone who walk pass the alley way, there's an upstairs sitting area too, but to any geeks, the one most important area would have to be the brew selections. That evening the bar was having a 7 variants Cantillon tasting event, working hand in hand with the importer for Japan market for this famous Belgium gift of gods, Lambic, while Hamilton was joking when chatting with Dan & Fay about " those who been to Mikkeller Bangkok would ask me--where's the GARDEN?", there's obviously no gardens here in the Tokyo version of this Copenhagen bar, but from what was on the tap list that evening, plus the tasting event, add that with the vibes of this area, it's certainly a better version from that troubled old one.
Craftheads Shibuya
This is a bar to go if you are into American beers and bourbon, at the same time this is also a bar where it is perceived as pricey by some---but if you are always stuck in Asia, and have no access to some American beers(think Three Floyds Dark Lord, Adam/Fred from Hair of the Dog--especially few years ago), then this place is quite a bar to visit.
This is a place run by long time resident originally from the states Michael san(or better known as Koji san), what makes this bar unique is that long before "grey imports" of all sorts started flowing into Asia which is the common scenario now ( especially in China), this place would have a few never seen else where in Asia bottles available for in bar consumption--for examples FFF Dark Lord which is still very hard to find bottles nowadays was already available at Craftheads years ago--and not just say the current year bottles but a few different years bottles to choose from! and while price is a subjective matter--at least when comparing to a certain bar in Amsterdam which also serves some Dark Lord bottles selection, considering the rare is gold perception, the prices in Tokyo is very reasonable indeed.
已把自己当日本人的美国人开的店，主打自家进口美国啤酒和美国波本烈酒，综合这几年去这家店得到印象是，有些人觉得在美国只卖某个价位的啤酒到了这里要贵许多，不过，对长期住在亚洲的一些啤迷来说，到东京如果没来这家看看酒单喝喝等于走宝。
如果你对这家完全没概念，或许这样说，特别之处是在"水货"概念还不像现在这么流行时候就已经全亚洲独家少量进口盛名难寻瓶子，比如至今在亚洲还是难寻的Three Floyds黑魔王，几年前去的时候，酒单上不是只有一个年份，而是好几款不同年份黑魔王供选择，而且价钱如果跟荷兰某家也有少量黑魔王供应酒吧相比的话，简直是合理得很。
这次去，酒单上明显少了很多选择，比较吸引的是JESTER KING瓶子选择。不过，记得有一次见到老板时候他说过，一般是十一月下旬左右会有新酒进来，或许今年底有去的朋友可以看看是不是有很多不同盛名酿坊瓶子选择。
This trip i only went once for a short while, browsing though the bottle list, there's not much selections available as of that time, with perhaps Hair of the Dog and Jester King bottles still catching some attentions--but i did remember once talking to the owner Koji san and he did mentioned about mostly bottles arriving mid or later part of Nov or beyond, so perhaps just like going to any craft beer places--sometimes it's all about timing.
Beer Stand Hiranoya
This is a place i have never been, suggested and led to the place by beer buddy in Tokyo, Neil, This is basically a small bottle shop, with a few taps, opening bottles to drink in is very much welcome. Selection wise this is a Belgium styles focus shop, with some other styles in the mix,
for examples there was this Owa Ume Lambic created and brewed in Belgium by Japanese brewer, as well a seemingly current "hot brew" of a Japanese version of New England style IPA. There's some beer bites too if you are in the mood, though it's relatively small, the vibes inside this bottle shop is cozy and friendly, worth a visit if you are into mainly Belgium brews.
平野屋酒店
之前没来过，应<东京啤酒人>部落客朋友Neil 建议在这里喝喝聊聊就来了。这是间开在米吧隔几条街附近瓶子店，也可在店内喝，店面不大，几个冰柜内主要是比利时啤酒，加些日本酿坊啤酒选择，选酒和店内氛围都不错，是值得一探的小店。
No comments:
Post a Comment