Ajen Birmingham on Kansai's craft beer scene

Ajen Birmingham, who was the opening character in my Kansai craft beer article in July's Kansai Scene, had a lot more to say than could fit in the finished product. The excerpts below come from an e-mail interview which took place in June. 

His first impressions of Kamikaze and Craft Beer Base and their impact on the scene

My impression of Kamikaze is that it is going to be very successful in their current location. Conveniently located right on Naniwa street, 2 minutes from Nishiohashi station, they will be able to expose a lot of new people to craft beer in Osaka city.

They have a welcoming, cozy atmosphere and kind staff that knows beer.  With 23 taps they are able to carry some of the best Japanese craft beer. I haven't seen any foreign beer on tap yet though. Decent menu as well.

Craft Beer Base is mainly a bottle shop, but their 4 taps are not to be ignored. CBB's taps rotate the best Japanese, American, Belgian and other world beers at very reasonable prices. If you decide that you want to explore a bit more beyond the 4 taps, there is a beer cellar storing 250 varieties of bottle conditioned beers at perfect temp. Their glassware is extensive, so no mater what beer strikes your fancy from the cellar they will have the perfect glass to match it. Food is light and modest but not without its charm. Most of the food pairs well with beer. They also hold tasting events and beer schools for the uninitiated. 

There are still a lot of people that think all beer is lager and that anything with a darker hue than Asahi Super Dry is like backpacking through Russia- dangerous, overpriced and filled with regret. These are just the people that Kamikaze and CBB are going after. 

Its going to take time to expose the general population to craft beer but I think CBB and Kamikaze are the first steps in that direction.  

On his background and how he got into craft beer in Japan 

Im from Minnesota. Im 31 years old. I arrived in Tokyo in about 2004 -  It was the same day as Matsui arrived in the states. I always say America and Japan did a little ぶつぶつこなん that year!  

I was lucky enough to grow up in the midwest where we take beer and dairy products pretty seriously. The dairy aisle and beer aisle in most super markets are about the same size. I grew up drinking craft beer.

When I first came to Japan I tried all the beer that there was at the supermarket and convenient stores and couldn't understand why it was all lager; this was before the Japanese macro breweries came up with, 'black beer'.  I thought at first it was a regional thing so I started looking in other regions; but still, only lager.

It wasn't until I came to Osaka that I found Craft Beer Works in Fukai. That was Eni Bru owner, Nishio-san's first craft beer place. He had just bought Eni Bru and was running them at the same time. About 6 months later he closed Craft Beer Works and focused on Eni Bru. Eni Bru was only a 3 min bike ride from where I lived. So, needless to say, I have since put his children through college!

On his hopes for the craft beer scene in Japan

My hope for the Kansai craft beer scene? First is the beer tax. The reason why beer is so expensive in this country is the tax. Japan pays the fourth highest beer tax in the world and the quality is nominal at best. The tax laws need to be revised.

Second, one thing about Kansai people is that they are very finicky about price and quality so I think it strange that when most people find themselves in a situation where they are going to buy wine or beer they make a selection based on price. Only thing is, they are for different reasons. Wine- people will consider their budget, and select the highest priced wine that falls within their budget because they think they are paying for quality.  Beer- people will look at the price and alcohol content.  

In the case of wine people are going for quality and experience, but with beer people are going for price only- the drinking experience isn't factored in when they choose, mostly likely because there is only 'Nama' as the main choice in 99% of the shops here.  

Currently, the beer taps are dominated by a few major industrial beer manufacturers who don’t put out much in way of diversity. As I mentioned, 99 percent of what is on the market here in Japan are lagers. Lagers are great, and they do have their place, but like everything else in life, moderation and diversity are key. In a country where variety is taken just as seriously as the quality it produces, I find nothing more un-Japanese than not being asked what kind of beer I want to drink with my meal. When people go into a sushi restaurant, they would never accept only one style of sushi; so why do they accept it when it comes to beer?  

One reason is experience. Sushi has been a part of the Japanese diet for a time long enough that most people have come into contact with so many different kinds of sushi that they can differentiate good sushi from bad sushi; cheap sushi from high-end sushi.  

In the end, appreciation for quality is honed by experience.

So, my hope is that people in Kansai will become more experienced on quality in relation to price so they can make better judgments calls when they are spending their money.  

Also, I would like to see more beer on the menu at restaurants here. Most people don't have my experience with wine, but most restaurants have an extensive wine selection. I would like to see more places stop relying on macro breweries to define beer for them, and instead invest a little time and experience into beer.  Craftsmanship and quality are in the Japanese's blood, thats why, if its done right, craft beer can't go wrong in Japan.  

On his plans for the future 

My hope is to open my own tap room spring of next year in Namba / Shinsaibashi. I would like to offer American, Japanese and other great world beers on tap and bottle at reasonable prices; served correctly.  Atmosphere will be American, but defiantly carter to Japanese proclivities. 

Craft Beer Japan iPhone app from the Japan Beer Times

Those following the Japan Beer Times in print, online, or on Twitter have probably heard about their new iPhone app, called "Craft Beer Japan," which is a bilingual guide to where to find craft beer across Japan. I'm not sure when exactly it hit the Apple Store, but I saw someone post about it and immediately installed in on my phone. 

My quick take is that it's a great platform that will continue updating as new information becomes available. If I visit a big city that I know has a few craft beer places, I know I can use this app to guide me. Further, bars can add their own specials to the app through a chalkboard-like feature. After a quick scan of Sapporo's entries, I saw the Beer Inn Mugishutei will waive their normal cover charge if you show the app. 

Meanwhile, we can expect additional features to be added as time goes by. Craft Beer Japan is certainly worth the few dollars it sells for. Check out the Japan Beer Times app page here. 

Kansai Special Part 1: Baird Brewing's John Chesen

As part of my work on the article in this month's Kansai Scene magazine about the craft beer scene in the region, I did an email interview with Baird Brewing managing partner John Chesen. Before we get to the interview itself, meet John, in his own words:

Bryan and I were classmates in grad school (1993-95 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC) and I was his first investor when he started Baird Brewing Company in 2000.  I joined the company in July 2010, having spent most of my career in satellite telecommunications and in manufacturing.

Now on the main interview, a small portion of which was included in the article. Keep in mind that this interview was conducted in April 2012, and obviously some of the discussion is about events which have already taken place.

Can you tell me about Baird's background up until now in the Kansai region? 

Arguably the seed for Baird Brewing Company was planted in the Kansai region. Bryan Baird spent is first three years in Japan in Izumisano, South Osaka, after graduating from Williams College in 1989. It was in Izumisano that he first fell in love with Japan, in particular its dining and drinking culture.

Fast forwarding to the present we’ve got a strong and growing number of retail partners in the Kansai region. In Osaka, these include two beer bars, Qbrick and Eni-Bru, and a superb bottle shop, Asahiya.  Recently Café Absinthe has become a Baird customer.

In Nishinomiya, Beer Café Barley, which opens every day (except Tuesdays) at 1:00 PM, is a long-time Baird supporter. 

Kyoto, too, is home to some wonderful craft beer bars that always have Baird on tap: Tadg’s, Beer Café Bakujun, and Beer Friends. Third-generation Kyoto noodle shop Omen serves Baird beer at each of its three locations, and Baird bottles are always available to take home from sakeya Yamaoka Saketen.

Last year in July we participated in the Japan Craft Beer Festival in Osaka. It was a lot of fun, so we’re looking forward to being there again this year. Next month, on May 13^th, we’ll participate in the Kyoto Ji-Biiru Matsuri. In addition, Osaka-based craft beer enthusiast and entrepreneur Ajen Birmingham has organized a couple events featuring Baird beer in the last several months. His next event, called Beer Base Live, will take place on September 22^nd in Umeda. 

What plans, if any, does Baird Brewing have to expand its presence in the Kansai region? 

We currently own and operate four Taproom-restaurants. The original one is in Numazu (Shizuoka Prefecture), where our brewery is located. There are two Baird Taprooms in Tokyo (Nakameguro and Harajuku) and one, at Bashamichi, in Yokohama. We would love to have a Taproom in Kansai!  Before we can embark on new Taprooms, though, we need to build a new brewery. All of our current resources – human and financial – will be focused on that project for the next year to eighteen months.  Our new brewery should expand our capacity by a factor of five, so once it’s operational we’ll be looking for thirsty folks in Kansai with whom to enjoy a pint or two.

While planning and analysis are important, serendipity also plays a big role in Taproom planning. We tend to move quickly when the stars align around city, neighborhood, people/partners, and food concept. A good example is our Bashamichi Taproom in Yokohama, which opened in January of last year. In the space of about ten days we decided on Yokohama; hired an accomplished and passionate practitioner of Texas-style barbeque, Chuck Morrow, to be our pitmaster/tencho; and found a amazing three-storey building in the bustling nightlife district of Bashamichi. The Taproom opened for business three months later. We’ve got a hunch that a similar alignment of the stars will happen before too long in one or more cities in Kansai.

What do you think overall about the growing scene in Osaka? 

We’re thrilled about the recent growth in interest in craft beer in Osaka. Minoh Brewing and Isekadoya Brewing are playing catalytic roles, as are the pioneering Kansai craft beer bars and retailers mentioned earlier. This energy, investment and passion notwithstanding, we think the Kansai region is significantly underserved relative to actual and potential demand for craft beer, and that tremendous room for expansion exists.

On a more sober note, sustainable growth in craft beer in Kansai and elsewhere in Japan, and the substantially greater retail investment required to support it, depend on the there being more good Japanese craft beer and significantly greater consistency in terms of product quality. Far too many Japanese craft beers are good to excellent one time and mediocre to horrid when one drinks a beer from the next batch two weeks later. Operational inconsistency is the kiss of death for any company or industry, especially those that manufacture food or beverage products. Unless brewery processes for controlling quality, (particularly on the “cold” side of the house where fermentation and packaging take place) are more rigorously understood and implemented, the current Japan craft beer boomlet risks losing momentum, just as the first, late-90s one did, as initial consumer excitement is overwhelmed by inconsistent, occasionally awful beer.

How might the growing Osaka scene compare with the Tokyo/Yokohama scene? 

Awareness of and interest in craft beer started much earlier in the Tokyo/Yokohama region than in Kansai, and the gap is growing. It seems like a new craft beer bar opens every couple of weeks in the Kanto region.  Moreover, craft beer’s penetration of the upscale dining market -- restaurants with a 10-page wine list but a single (industrial lager) beer option -- is accelerating in Kanto, albeit from a near-zero base. 

Kansai, though, is waking up, and we’re excited about some of the new projects now under way.  (Word has it that craft beer entrepreneur Ai Tani is now building a new place near Umeda that will offer draught beer on-premise and bottles for take-home. Ajen Birmingham is also rumored to be looking start a place.) 

It may only be a matter of time before Kansai’s legendary zest for good living, no where more in evidence than in its enjoyment of good food and drink, propels the availability of craft beer in the region to the same, or higher, levels as those in Kanto. We intend to play an active role in realizing this potential.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing the craft beer movement in Japan? 

The retail revolution needed to introduce more people to craft beer in Japan is in its infancy. More entrepreneurs are needed to start craft beer bars and, even more important, to include craft beer in existing and new restaurant formats, from fast casual to fine dining. 

In addition, large beverage distribution intermediaries -- tonya and gyomu oroshi -- need to study the unique attributes and handling requirements of craft beer and then make it more widely available in the marketplace. This part of the craft beer retail revolution took decades to happen in the US market, but most of the AB-InBev and Miller-Coors distributors in America now have specialty craft beer sales groups; in fact, as sales of industrial lagers like Bud and Bud Lite continue to stagnate or decline, craft beer is now the sole source of revenue growth and profit growth for these distributors.  The craft segment is fast approaching 10% of the US beer market. We’re betting that the same thing can happen in Japan.

Finally, as previously mentioned, Japanese brewers of craft beer must make more good beer and do so with greater consistency.  The “brew it and they’ll think it’s cool and drink it” phase of industry development needs to wind down at a much faster pace.  Japanese consumers are simply too sophisticated and too discerning. Fortunately, there’s more good beer this year than last year, and consistency of product quality is improving.  Japan is a country that reveres craftsmanship as well as freshness, variety and character in food and drink. We’re confident that these deeply rooted cultural influences spell a bright future for Japanese craft beer.

What challenges might be unique to the Kansai area? 

Kansai may be more culturally conservative that Kanto and therefore more measured in the pace with which it evaluates and embraces new ideas. It’s impossible to say if this is a factor in the relatively late start and slow pace of the region’s embrace of craft beer.  It’s clear, though, that there’s been awakening, and we’re delighted to be participating.

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That's it for the interview. I'll soon post a couple more interviews that fall under this "Kansai Special" label. Thanks for reading! 

Moving North

I last posted from the week of my wedding, way back in March. Life as a married person has been fairly smooth, though as opposed to "settling down" we are getting ready to change jobs and move very soon. While our plans are not totally decided, we are moving to Sapporo in Hokkaido.

Of course, I will keep this blog going, and you'll probably notice a shift toward Hokkaido beers and the scene in Sapporo. On that topic, I just came back from a quick trip to Sapporo, and on this occasion I visited two craft beer establishments.

One was Adanonki, a used book store that has two taps and a nice selection of bottles. The atmosphere is very laid back, the location is convenient, and the 11 Pale Ale from Akita's Aqula was fantastic.

The second place, Kalahana, was (like Adanonki) featured in the Japan Beer Times Sapporo article from May 2011. We were actually walking down the covered street it sits on with plans to dine elsewhere, but the gravitational force of craft beer pulled me in. My wife, despite not being a big fan of the average beer, enjoyed a cider, which Kalahana wisely features. The food was nice too. This time we opted for a Greek salad, chicken and chips, and onion rings. Not long ago, on a previous visit to Hokkaido, I went to Otaru Beer's Leibspeise in Sapporo, an experience I wrote about for JapanTourist. On the same trip, I also stopped in to Beer Bar North Island, where I enjoyed two seasonal IPAs. 

There are still other places to check out in Sapporo and further afield in Hokkaido, including one place in my likely-neighborhood-to-be that may have hand pump Yona Yona. Stand by or urgent updates on this topic.

KANSAI SCENE 

Meanwhile, I wrote an article that appears in this month's Kansai Scene magazine about the craft beer scene in the region. It doesn't go too deep into the details, but I hope it provides a nice overview. [Note: as of this writing, the photo that appears with the article on the website is clearly incorrect. You can see how the article was presented in the printed version by clicking on the page gallery.]

In doing interviews for that article, I ended up with a lot more information than could fit into the article. Over the next couple of weeks I will release some of that content. Stay tuned!