Sunday, April 1, 2018

WEEK 127--Let's go TOKYO this SEPTEMBER


And so it's here, the one beer fest i been wishing to one day somehow making it to ASIA is coming to Tokyo this September.

To have a beer fest of level this high coming to ASIA is something i been wishing for and spoken with some closest geeks friends ever since coming back from CBC few years ago, partly due to the fact that craft beer festivals in ASIA are either mostly commercial interest first, or drink all you can so you can fall flat on your face or simply monotonous(yes, there are a few guys in different parts of ASIA working on more crafty festivals aiming at spreading craft culture but nothing come close to MBCC/CBC level), so to have the organizers of one of the world's best craft fest taking it all the way to ASIA is really a big tick off the craft wish list.
终于来了。
备受啤迷推崇关注的哥本哈根啤酒庆典---Mikeller Beer Celebratiin Copenhagen  (简称MBCC)主办方上周正式宣布将会破天荒第一次出现亚洲版本。 
这个全亚洲第一次选择了东京,英文简称MBCT,最后一个字母指的就是Tokyo ,和今年511-12哥本哈根版本不同的是,东京选在户外举行,地点是新宿区明治神宫外苑一个棒球场,日期是923-24两天。
如果你没去过也没听说过MBCC或比较早期简称CBC的哥本哈根啤酒庆典,以下是一些基本概念:-

Scheduled for 23rd & 24th(a Monday but it's a public holiday in Japan) September, the first ever Asia version of the Copenhagen originated MBCC(Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen) or CBC(Copenhagen Beer Celebration) when it first started will be held at the rubber ball base ball ground at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Shinjuku area, and since Tokyo is the venue, the ASIA version is naturally being called MBCT.
You can watch the official announcement video here:-
If yo have not been to a CBC/MBCC or don't really know what it's all about, here's some basic ideas:-
1) Limited Supply--First come first serve
TWO days fest---FOUR sessions--no less than few hundreds varieties of beers/mead/hard ciders to choose from--but for any single session it's highly likely that a particular brew has only 1 keg--you want that brew you better go first in line or line up for it--but if that keg is finished--then sorry--there's no more---better luck next time. 
1)有限供应,先到先得,完了就没了
两天,四个不同时段,有好几百款不同品牌类别风格啤酒选择但是每个时段每款很可能只有一桶,要喝只能排队领酒,先到先得,一旦那桶啤酒分完就没了。
2) Your Taster Glass is your pass to get serve
There's NO cash/card transaction needed when it comes to drinking beers/mead/hard cider(except if you are buying food or other things)---to save everyone's time during the fest, tickets are sold ONLINE way in advance.(will come to that in the later part of this post)---your ticket is entitle for a taster glass at the door which is effectively your pass to get serve any and every beers/mead/hard cider out there that you fancy during the fest( provided you follow scenario 1 mentioned above)
2)凭票换杯,杯子就是领酒通行证
啤酒庆典以预购门票方式进行,场内喝酒只需排队伸手递杯子就可,喝酒不需另外给钱找钱浪费大家时间,你唯一需要做的只是每次喝新酒前自己找洗杯机冲冲杯子,再去领酒。
3) Small Pour/Drink Less Taste More
Yes, many would think beer festivals is the perfect setting to get slam/gulping down as many beers one can handle( or in fact cannot handle)---Well, that mentality does not suit a fest like MBCC/MBCT where firstly the taster glass will be a lot more smaller in size than your usual bar pint glasses, secondly the serving size is mostly only half filled or even lesser---this is a fest which encourages drinkers to savour the different flavours of varieties of brew, not gulping. So if you are new to the fest--do not complaint if your glass is only half filled or lesser--this is the norm--most geeks would understand--and you should too.
With few hundreds varieties of brew available, unless you are prepared/wanted to drink til you fall flat face down( really?)--the best way to enjoy and taste so many different styles/types of brew is to drink a lot lesser in volume while trying out as much varieties your alcohol tolerance level/stamina can take in.
3)小杯子小量喝
啤酒节等同大杯畅饮的旧思维在这里不适用,这是个鼓励小量啜饮细味品尝的啤酒节,如果手上小杯子每次只分到一半或更少,不要惊讶不要质问,这是这个啤酒庆典的文化,啤迷们都知道,你也应该知道。
庆典每天两个不同时段会有至少过百种不同品牌不同类别风格啤酒选择,除非是要拼命喝到趴下(需要吗?有意思?),短短几小时内如何好好品味不同啤酒是关键,少量多尝是自然动作,也因为很多款啤酒只有一桶,参与酿坊每次只给少量是正道。
虽然主办方还没公布太多详情,包括参与酿坊阵容(只说不少过40家美国欧洲亚洲酿坊),购票详情等,不过既然东京版本以哥本哈根庆典为依据,来看看哥本哈根版本什么玩法:-
Though there's not much details as yet pertaining to the line up for  participating breweries( though it's announced that there will be no less than 40), as well ticket pricing and so on, but since MBCT is the ASIA version of MBCC, let's take a look at what the Copenhagen version is all about:-
The Ticket
Into the 7th edition, the Copenhagen fest is still a 2 days event with 4 different sessions--morning 10am to around 2pm and then 3pm to about 7pm another session.
You can choose to go for only 1 single session of RED/BLUE/GREEN/YELLOW ticket(indicating different session) or you could buy the PINK ticket for all 4 sessions.(there's also a VIP ticket option if you so fancy)
All participating breweries/meadery/cider house will be there during the 4 sessions serving mostly different brew for different sessions. As mentioned earlier--beer money is already paid for with that ticket of yours, all you have to do is hold on to your taster glass, go in front of a serving booth, pick up your brew and enjoy, rinse it and go to the next booth---NO cash/card needed UNLESS you are buying coffee/food/t-shirt and/or any other items/services available.
As of now it is understood that TICKET WILL OPEN FOR SALE ONLINE by mid or later part of MAY 2018.(do check their FB/Insta for latest news)
Do take note that there's NO ticket at the door during event day for Copenhagen version.
门票概念
今年哥本哈根啤酒庆典已进入第七个年头,一样是分两天四个不同时段,早上到下午一场,下午到傍晚另一场,所有参与酿坊在每个不同时段都会提供不同款啤酒/蜜酒,啤迷可选择只买单一时段的红////单场票或全部四个时段都能参与的粉红通行票,票价已包含所去时段全场所有啤酒任喝,在场内除非是喝咖啡买食物或纪念品或瓶子或现场纹身,不然都不需要另外给钱。
据了解,东京版本入门票预计会在五月中/下旬开始接受网上预购。以哥本哈根经验来说,庆典当天不设现场购票,想去的啤迷记得留意MBCT官网最新消息。
What's the FUSS?
There will be no less than 60 breweries/meadery/cider house joining MBCC 2018 in Copenhagen this coming 11-12May, it's true number is not the most important but quality of those coming--and that's exactly the main reason why year after year this fest keep attracting beer geeks from far and wide to travels/fly in just for that particular week/few days---with breweries ranging from the grand masters to the hot and in-trend to the unassuming solid ones--these are the reasons why the fest keep people flying in year after year--in a way, it's also some sort of get-together/reunion date for old and new geeks friends from different places around the globe. 
有什么那么厉害
今年哥本哈根版本至今已宣布参与酿坊不少过60家,数量不是最重要,有什么级别酿坊前来才是重点,这才是每年能吸引世界各地啤迷飞往参与主因,无论是Craft世界里的大师级酿坊或火红新贵或低调高手,应邀的都会出席,这年度盛事也是散布世界不同角落新旧啤迷朋友见面共聚分享交流的机会,那么多同好同处一个空间不是每天都能有的事。
Why Go Tokyo?
Of course if you would choose to go Copenhagen for the whole beer week with 2 days fest in the mix that would be awesome, but if you are not then the first ASIA version in Tokyo should help.
Basing on what Copenhagen has demonstrated over the past 6 years, this fest in Tokyo will certainly be something ASIA has never before seen or experienced---yes, it's true that what happen in Copenhagen might not be 100% applicable here in Asia with differences in culture and so on--but what MBCC represent in terms of breweries line up/the way geeks are participating/the serve small drink less taste more culture would certainly help ASIA craft community/drinkers to move forward hopefully with better understanding and appreciation of craft culture.
and, If you happen to have friends who think beer festivals is just an excuse to get slam/face down--try ask him/her to come along, let them see for themselves first hand how different one of the best craft festivals can be.
为什么要去
以哥本哈根经验来说,这绝对会是亚洲前所未见啤酒庆典,无论是酿坊阵容,啤迷参与方式,鼓励浅尝细味啤酒节文化等对新朋友来说会是新体验,如果觉得啤酒节只是个让无聊人拼酒喝死的借口,那就更应该来看看这个当今世上数一数二,备受各地啤迷推崇啤酒庆典会是怎么一回事。

EXTENDED READ:-
mbcc 2016 beer week

small-matters-of-cbc-2015.

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