Local brewery?
It happens to be that just down the road, through the woods, and up the mountain a bit, lays the best beer in Japan (that I have tasted so far). It is a great little brewery called, Nikko Beer. The brewery is fairly small, but there is a nice drinking room where tourist, or climbers in need of refreshment can enjoy sipping some suds. Jacob and Layla, from upstate NY, accompanied Melissa and myself there the other night after a long day at the Lodge. For 2500 yen ($20) we bought a pitcher of freshly brewed beer.
It was surprisingly delicious. Not that I’m a beer snob or anything but typically Japanese beer is good for only one thing, getting you drunk. There usually isn’t much opportunity to relish in aromas, or let your tongue go wild exploring complex flavor molecules. They just aren’t there. However the Nikko Beer was very rich in flavor. It had the same light, crispness of typical Jap Ale, but underneath the 5cm of foam was a hoppy bite that brought a smile to my face. I loved that they use natural spring water, freshly squeezed out of the rocks of the local hills. The brew master did it right, capturing the organic, earthy feel of this area, and defining the taste of good mountain times in a single recipe.
I’d like to say we’ll be going back again, but at $20 a pitcher I think I’ll stick to the Nodogoshi’s.
Tags: Japan, Travel
Zach
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