114 Different countries worth of beer, what a way to travel!
While this map shows the best-selling beers in each country (rather than the thousands of micro-brews that are out there), it definitely shows that beer is a worldwide beverage. When you look at the United States, our most popular beer is Bud Light. Yet with number of breweries passing 4,000 this past year, craft beer still accounts for only 15% of the beer sold here in the US. Still, if you are planning to travel, why not try the most popular local beer as well as the micro-brews specific to the region you’re in!
Ask the Brewer
So, if I’m going to Japan, are there any good craft beers there?
The most popular beer in Japan is Hitachino, with over 10 year round varieties and many seasonal offerings.
Like the United States, Japan is also experiencing a resurgence in their craft beer scene. They had an uptick in craft breweries in the 1990’s, with a corresponding drop late in that decade, and now another increase. As of late fall 2014 Japan was home to 215 craft breweries and in Tokyo alone there are now almost 80 brewpubs, up from a handful only a few years ago.
If you want a taste of Japan here in the US, any of the following imports could give you that opportunity.
Niigata Golden Kolsch
Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager (Gluten Free)
Ishikawa Bottle Conditioned Ale
Kankiku Kujyukuri Ocean Beer Weizen
Orion Premium Draft Beer
Iwate Kura Oyster Stout
Baird Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale
Yo-Ho Tokyo Black Porter
Ryujin Shuzo Ozeno Yukidoke IPA
Kiuchi Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
Taproom Tidings
Food options at the taproom this weekend include Signature on Wheels this Friday and Man Cave on Saturday. We will be open our normal hours, with growler and grumbler fills all of the days we are open. Sadly, the Brewer’s choice we were hoping to tap on Friday (i.e., the Black Pepper Porter) isn’t quite ready, so we will plan for it next weekend.
- Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, Cranberry Shandy and Raj-Agni IPA
- Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growlers (No growler or grumbler fills after 8pm, cuz it’s the law!)
- Nutmeg Pear Cupcake from Groundswell, nutmeg cake with fresh pear butter and cream cheese frosting
Final Thoughts
With Valentine’s Day only a few weeks away, it seemed like a good time for us to thrown down and brew up something special. Yeah, we know that beer in and of itself should be special enough, but we wanted to make something that reflects that day.
That being said, we will be releasing our Chocolate Raspberry Strong Ale in the taproom that weekend. Keep your gluten-free sweetie in mind as you make your plans!
As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.
Cheers!