It's been a little while since my last post... I've both been a bit busy, and have not really been eating out during this time. However, a couple of weeks back, I did visit the Yebisu Beer Tasting Salon in the Yebisu Beer Museum, located in Ebisu station's Garden Place. Garden Place is a nice, upscale shopping complex with restaurants, cafes, hotels, a movie theatre and more. There is a stage in the middle of the plaza where they hold events, and in the summer there is a temporary outdoor "beer garden".
I heard that the station itself is named after the brewery. "Yebisu" or "Ebisu", is part of Sapporo Breweries, and is one of the more "premium" of the 4 main beers sold in Japan. By premium, I mean that they cost several tens of yen more when you buy them at the shop. To me, at least, Yebisu tastes a lot better than Sapporo Ichiban. You can find their website, with English, here (http://www.sapporoholdings.jp/english/guide/yebisu/), with more information about the history of the company and the access details.
By the way, if you were interested, my personal ranking goes like this. They are all good though.... I'm not a beer aficionado; I just go by my tongue. I recommend you buy one of each and compare them against each other, let me know what you think.
Suntory Premium Malts - Rich and clear at the same time, medium body.
Yebisu - Medium body, mellow, smooth.
Asahi - Best if it is really cold(Extra Cold -2deg!). Clear, sharp taste.
Kirin - Fuller, rounder taste.
A couple of friends and I decided to check out the Tasting Salon after having had a few at the "Beer Station", a restaurant front for the brewery near Ebisu station. You can find the website of the place here- (http://gardenplace.jp/restaurantcafe/beerstation.html ) but I recommend that you head straight for the brewery as Beer Station is a bit overpriced and while the beer is great, there are simply too many people and too few staff. The food was tasty, but portions were small and unsatisfying.
It is possible to join tours of the brewery museum, but the summer heat being as it was, we headed straight for the tasting salon. Few things during the summer can beat a cold refreshing beer.
Pricing at the salon is fairly reasonable. I ordered the tasting set, which I believe came out to 1200 yen, for 3 beers and the oden. Individual beers cost either 400 or 500 yen - they also came in larger glasses.
The oden was standard fare- I didn't care much for it. I think it tastes a lot better steaming hot during the cold winter months.
The three beers coming with the set were:
1)Yellow: regular Yebisu (Malt Beer)
2)Black: Yebisu Premium Black(Dark Beer...Stout?)
3) Kohaku Ebisu(Amber Ale)
The first two varieties are available year round while I see the Kohaku at the supermarket from time to time.
Now to the flavour. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I have a freshly poured beer from the tap. The temperature is always perfect, and the foam is so much better than when it is poured from the can..
All three of the drinks were smooth, medium-bodied and easy to drink. They were not particularly unique in any way, but very good. Perhaps the best way to say this is that they were what I expected to get- great, clear taste..
I'll say right off the bat that the regular Yebisu was my favourite (this time around, this comes qualified by the weather and fact that I had already had a few others up to this point). It was the easiest to drink.and the most refreshing as well. The stout was a bit sweet and acidic, but not as full or bitter as I had expected. The amber ale was deep, full and a bit bitter- I actually noticed the bitterness more here than with the stout. Lookswise, I have to say that the amber was the most appealing.
Overall, I think that the Yebisu Beer Museum is a great place to stop for a beer- if you are curious about the history of Ebisu or simply just want to have a refreshing drink, I encourage you to stop by. Ebisu station is easily accessible on the Yamanote Line and the Museum is in Ebisu Garden Place, a short walk through a series of sky-bridge like things from the station. Read the signs and you'll have no problem getting there.
I heard that the station itself is named after the brewery. "Yebisu" or "Ebisu", is part of Sapporo Breweries, and is one of the more "premium" of the 4 main beers sold in Japan. By premium, I mean that they cost several tens of yen more when you buy them at the shop. To me, at least, Yebisu tastes a lot better than Sapporo Ichiban. You can find their website, with English, here (http://www.sapporoholdings.jp/english/guide/yebisu/), with more information about the history of the company and the access details.
By the way, if you were interested, my personal ranking goes like this. They are all good though.... I'm not a beer aficionado; I just go by my tongue. I recommend you buy one of each and compare them against each other, let me know what you think.
Suntory Premium Malts - Rich and clear at the same time, medium body.
Yebisu - Medium body, mellow, smooth.
Asahi - Best if it is really cold(Extra Cold -2deg!). Clear, sharp taste.
Kirin - Fuller, rounder taste.
A couple of friends and I decided to check out the Tasting Salon after having had a few at the "Beer Station", a restaurant front for the brewery near Ebisu station. You can find the website of the place here- (http://gardenplace.jp/restaurantcafe/beerstation.html ) but I recommend that you head straight for the brewery as Beer Station is a bit overpriced and while the beer is great, there are simply too many people and too few staff. The food was tasty, but portions were small and unsatisfying.
It is possible to join tours of the brewery museum, but the summer heat being as it was, we headed straight for the tasting salon. Few things during the summer can beat a cold refreshing beer.
 |
| Coasters for the Three Beers |
The oden was standard fare- I didn't care much for it. I think it tastes a lot better steaming hot during the cold winter months.
The three beers coming with the set were:
1)Yellow: regular Yebisu (Malt Beer)
2)Black: Yebisu Premium Black(Dark Beer...Stout?)
3) Kohaku Ebisu(Amber Ale)
 |
| Cold Oden Tasting Set |
The first two varieties are available year round while I see the Kohaku at the supermarket from time to time.
Now to the flavour. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I have a freshly poured beer from the tap. The temperature is always perfect, and the foam is so much better than when it is poured from the can..
All three of the drinks were smooth, medium-bodied and easy to drink. They were not particularly unique in any way, but very good. Perhaps the best way to say this is that they were what I expected to get- great, clear taste..
I'll say right off the bat that the regular Yebisu was my favourite (this time around, this comes qualified by the weather and fact that I had already had a few others up to this point). It was the easiest to drink.and the most refreshing as well. The stout was a bit sweet and acidic, but not as full or bitter as I had expected. The amber ale was deep, full and a bit bitter- I actually noticed the bitterness more here than with the stout. Lookswise, I have to say that the amber was the most appealing.
Overall, I think that the Yebisu Beer Museum is a great place to stop for a beer- if you are curious about the history of Ebisu or simply just want to have a refreshing drink, I encourage you to stop by. Ebisu station is easily accessible on the Yamanote Line and the Museum is in Ebisu Garden Place, a short walk through a series of sky-bridge like things from the station. Read the signs and you'll have no problem getting there.
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