One thing I’ve learnt about drinking in foreign cities is to find a nice watering hole near your hotel and preferably with service staff that speak English. That’s why in Tokyo, I like going to the Baird Beer’s Nakameguro taproom which is a short ride from the hotel I normally stay at.

Baird Taproom in Nakameguro, Tokyo

Not only do they serve really good beers, they do have English menus and now, Marco works there! I no longer have to point to the menu to order but just say, “Please,” and a pint appears!

It’s the 2nd anniversary of the Nakameguro Taproom and they had the Temple  Garden Yuzu Ale (ABV 6%) available, a seasonal special. Yuzu is a citrus fruit, very simialr to an orange or lemon. Other than Japan, I’ve only seen this fruit in Korea. But this was the first time I’d tasted yuzu beer. It had a cloudy look with a nice white head and a sweet smell. And the sweetness is also evident in the taste. It’s a wonderful beer and great for any warm evening.

But the highlight for us that night was a special vintage ale which, if I recall correctly, has been kegged for the past 2 years. It’s a really strong beer and not for the faint-hearted. And according to Marco, there was only 1 keg and we managed to drink 2 glasses (not pints), must be an inventory-management practice! Marco, if I’ve got any of these points wrong, shout!

Vintage Ale - served only in small quantities

 Vintage ales seem very hard to come by, other than Baird’s, we’ve also had Fuller’s Vintage from the bottle and Cooper’s vintage on tap. If you’ve sampled anything else, let us know.