I've had several Hitachino and Baird beers, but I'm wondering if there are other Japanese craft beers available in the US worth trying. Love to hear any suggestions.
This is even harder then finding Italian craft beer! I pretty much know of Hitachino which B. United International brings in. If there is another company that brings in Japanese craft, I do not know it right now!
My local bottle shop just got these beers in recently, but I'm not trying to buy any because they're expensive and I don't feel like getting burned
Spent 10 days in Tokyo recently and tried a bunch of Japanese crafts. The craft beer scene has really exploded in Japan in the past couple of years, there are small breweries popping up and a LOT of specialty craft beer bars opening up. However, I tried a bunch (including a few IPA's which seems to be the style that small breweries in Japan are favoring at the moment) and honestly they were all sub-par. It's going to take a few years for the quality to improve I think. Craft beers are shockingly expensive in JP too; a pint of IPA at a pub will run you 900 to 1200 yen ($11 to $15 US).
Man I have to go look at the bottle, but my friend brought me a lager that is brewed near where he currently lives (Kagoshima) that's named in relation to Katsumoto who was a samurai the movie/book The Last Samurai was loosly based off of. It was a damn solid lager actually and I would gladly have it again but I know I'll never find it outside of Japan especially since he's in a small city on the south tip of Japan...
It's also available in the Seattle area. Aooni IPA and Yona Yona Ale are also available. I have fond memories of drinking at Baird's taproom in Harajuku, I wish they'd distribute to WA again.
