WEEK 118--Beer.Vegan.Zhusi

I have heard of Yorocco since few years back but never had the chance to sample any since their supply hardly go out of Zhusi--a quiet small town 1 hour by train from Tokyo--for those who noticed or were at this year's MBCC( or CBC as it was known before)--Yorocco was the only Japanese craft brew invited for that mother of all craft event in Copenhagen.

来之前，几年前已听闻过有一家小酿坊叫Yorocco,  酿品水准很不错，不过因为量少，很难在东京找到，要喝到这家酿坊啤酒最佳方式只能是到距离逗子市JR站不远处，一星期只开两三天，全日本唯一专属品饮室去。

有趣的是，品饮室藏身于一间感觉很居家邻里，叫Beach Muffin的素食小店内，单从门面外观看不出酒吧痕迹，比较像隔壁老王寻常店家，作为Yorocco 专属品饮室（只有5个啤酒泵，不卖任何其他酿坊啤酒，也不卖瓶子），这里感觉一点都不像餐厅酒吧，而是很舒适惬意的家居客厅，就像去到朋友家那样。

This recent trip to Tokyo was basically a rainy week, it was almost raining everyday, so the thought of going out to a Vegan restaurant in Zhusi for a few Yorocco became a little uncertain( especially since i have had a few Yorocco brew already in Tokyo few days before), but thanks to the spur of moment thought of messaging Beach Muffin, as well the "you should go" opinion from Hamilton & Neil, i went.

Prior to making the trip from Shinagawa station while having breakfast at blue bottle cafe---i checked Yorocco webpage which list out the days when the taproom at Beach Muffin is open for the month and it kinda indicated it's not open on that Friday--so i thought perhaps checking with Beach Muffin would be the best option though their FB says "typically reply within 1 day"-- to my surprise the response was swift, the taproom is open, and they were kind to point me the direction of how to get there after getting out of Zhusi JR station.( it was only after meeting and chatting with the owner Larry that i realized the visit was meant to be---because that moment when i message to ask via FB--his wife was checking on something on the hand phone--otherwise no one will response until much much later or the next day)
*it's south exit from Zhusi JR station--go out to bus stop no.3--take bus no.12(to hayama)--alight at 3rd stop(rokudaigozenmai)--beach muffin is just located right next to the road side bus stop. 

逗子市距离东京约一小时，因为不确定品饮室是不是有开，尝试通过脸书联系询问，虽然官网记录显示通常要一天时间回复，意外的很快就得到回答，还贴心告知出车站后要在哪一个巴士站搭几号班车哪里下车。（后来见到店主Larry 时才知道，女主人刚好在用手机，所以才会有那么快回应的事情发生）。

到之前对品饮室或素食小店长什么样子没什么概念，踏进店里的那刻感觉像是到了朋友家，就那样，原本想说或许呆个两小时左右就可以去隔一站的镰仓扮一下游客，结果中午到之后就没动过，偶尔跟老板LARRY聊聊天，怡然自得的消磨时光享受扮在地人的悠闲，傍晚要离开前不久还有点奇遇式的跟来店里送刚从外地采摘苹果的低调主创酿酒师AKIO见面聊了下，绝对是整个东京行最惬意的一个下午。

While it was gloomy in Tokyo, it was not raining but sunny at Zhusi station---looking at Beach Muffin from the outside, and even when inside, even if you notice the unassuming small bar counter with a few tap handles behind the dining area---it does not feel like a taproom at all--certainly don't feel like the only taproom in whole of Japan for Yorocco--it felt more like a friend's house, someone's dining room, someone's lounge, someone's study or lazying area--just felt right at home.

The initial thought was perhaps come in for lunch and a few beers, then proceed to playing tourist at next station Kamakura( which is more famous as a tourists spot)--well, it never happened--coz i stayed the whole afternoon at Beach Muffin and it felt like one of the best afternoons that week in Tokyo.

<海滩松饼>是长居日本的美国大叔Larry和日本太太开的，素食餐点之外也卖些新鲜蔬果干果零食松饼蛋糕之类的，那天店里没什么人，偶尔有几个当地人来买些糕点带走，如果不是入门客厅左边稍上的假楼那层小吧台有5个啤酒泵加小黑板写着Yorocco当天酒单，根本看不出跟品饮室的关联。                                                                      

一间居家素食小店为什么会是全日本唯一的Yorocco专属品饮室？这是有点趣味的事，Larry说 “跟Akio 满熟悉的了，也喜欢喝他酿的酒，可是没固定地点可以经常喝到，然后有一天跟Akio聊起说不如就在自家餐馆找个地方设品饮室，就那样，隔天有人来看位置，很快就动工，品饮室做起来了。”

This is a place owned and run by Larry+his wife & team--they enjoy working at the kitchen which is visible from the moment you push that door open, but you can always talk to Larry if you only speaks English----Beach Muffin really felt like a neighbourhood store than anything else--it's a place you come buy some muffins/cakes/bottled dried food/nuts/fruits and such, as well you can sit down and dine in if Vegan food is your thing--the taproom is small--with 5 taps--serving ONLY and whatever Yorocco beers they have on that day you walk in--no bottles for sale or drink in(if your aim is to come and collect some bottles to buy back then you should take note)-- the taproom section is NOT open all week-- best to check in advance if necessary.

So what has a Vegan restaurant got to do with Yorocco beer? the answer is simple---because Larry knows the brewer Akio( who brew his beer in a place co-sharing with a bread making workshop not too far from Beach Muffin), he likes the beers, but there's no place to drink his brew on a more regular basis since the brewery do not open for visiting nor has got any sort of taproom, so one day Larry pop the question "why not open a taproom at my restaurant?", the next day some friends of Akio came, the spot for a small taproom set up identified--the rest, as people often say, is history.

作为今年唯一受邀出席哥本哈根啤酒庆典（MBCC）的日本酿坊，Yorocco啤酒当然具备一定水准，只是之前喝过许多日本Craft 品牌啤酒总让人感觉中规中矩，所以没带很大期望。不过，来逗子市前几天，在三轩茶屋朋友开的小酒吧喝到了感觉惊艳一支，是不久前限量发行的Yorocco低度农场风格啤酒，经过两年时间白葡萄酒木桶陈放，呈现木桶香味，轻盈易喝，像是喝着香醇微甘带点干白葡萄啤酒，是个人至今喝过最好的日本酿坊作品。

如果说之前那支桶陈佳酿是特酿不能做准，来到品饮室当天上啤酒泵的大多是常态款，算是一家酿坊作品水准的基点，当天5款中有Saison，Pale Ale， Ipa和Porter，个人感觉，除了Ipa 比较普通（可还是好喝过一些只强调啤酒花攻击的欧美作品），其他4款都是水准之作，有个共同点是，作品都均衡易喝但不是单调无趣，虽不惊人却也不是平庸之作。

喝CRAFT乐趣最关键在于酿品水准，还有就是跟谁一起喝，有时候在哪里喝也可以很关键，逗子市这个惬意下午美好的体现了三大要点交汇的画面。

To a certain extend, i wasn't expecting much before coming to Zhusi--mainly because whatever Japanese craft beer i have had so far basically gives off the impression of either "good but not exciting" or "very safe and just that" or "good for newbies"---there's been none whatsoever a Japanese craft brew which excites until few days before coming to Zhusi---at Pigalle Sangenjaya, it was an evening quick drink with a newly acquainted beer geek from US before moving to another place for a few mead tasting--there at Pigalle--we sampled a wine/oak barrel aged saison from Yorocco--the unblended version of the 2 bottles from their recent limited release---we were very very pleasantly surprised with the brew, it felt like you are drinking a still beer with not much carbonation in wine form filled with oak aroma, slightly dry and sweet at the same time---very very easy drinking yet with layers of nuances--we were basically looking at each other after the first 2 sips and went "damn...."---personally, no doubt it's by far the BEST Japanese brew i have had.

With that said, i was coming to Beach Muffin with zero expectations because i wasn't sure what this place is, i don't even know what's on tap for the day until walking in---for that day there's 2 saison-1 pale ale-1porter & 1 ipa on show--it's obviously unrealistic to expect the level of that limited release with regular brew--if i have to give an opinion--then perhaps expect for Ipa which taste quite normal(but the balance and drinkability is still better than quite a few US/Europe ipas aiming to hop/s attack)--all 4 others were certainly very pleasant/easy drinking---for lack of better words--it's not out of this world but certainly NOT your average so so beer. 

Spending an entire afternoon eating some quite delicious vegan food, drinking some beers, talking to Larry occasionally and basically doing nothing/lazying around was the order of the day, this place has got a homely/cozy vibe, you just felt right  to stay on and lazy around--and one small incident which happened that day makes the afternoon even better-- i was talking to Larry about beer related topics( what else could it be)--and Larry was like " i would like to have you meet with Akio san but he don't come in here too often"(as a brewer--this is one guy who kinda keep a low profile--seldom come in to beach muffin even when the taproom is open)--and then about 20 minutes after Larry said that and went back to working at the kitchen--he run up the small staircases where the taproom lounge is --and said " do you know who just walk in with hand full of apples?"--and so it was an afternoon where all things happened naturally--Akio san just came back from a trip to farm picking fresh apples--we chatted for a short while--an afternoon in Zhusi just got a perfect ending note.

Personally--the fun of drinking craft beer is all about what you drinking--the quality of the brew you drinking, and then it's also about who you are drinking/sharing with--and at times where you drinking at can add to the experience as well--that afternoon in Zhusi--all 3 elements just blend in perfectly--it's really a perfect afternoon to drink beer.