"Walk into an izakaya in Tokyo or New York and order a tall glass of beer. You'll usually get one of the crisp, crushable lagers that define Japanese brews for most imbibers. These rice-brewed beverages are massively refreshing, a perfect toriaezu beer, or beer for now, as you check the food menu and unwind. While delicious, rice lagers only scratch the surface of the Japanese beer scene."
"Before 1994, the Japanese government had a law that restricted brewing licenses to giant producers. After it was revised, the door opened for small-scale operations. Soon, new breweries began to experiment with German, Belgian, and American styles through a distinctly Japanese lens. The first Japanese craft brewer was Echigo Beer in Niigata, a city 200 miles north of Tokyo, whose Koshihikari Rice Lageran elevated take on the traditional rice lagerremains a touchstone."
"Balance is the unifying element that defines Japanese beer, from a cold, foam-topped Asahi to a matcha IPA. While a triple dry-hopped hazy American IPA dominates your attention, a Japanese IPA like Raydeen offers bright citrus flavor and gentle bitterness. It pairs perfectly with a heavy meal and acts like a palate cleanser, says Darner, whose Japanese-style pub features one of the widest Japanese beer selections in the U.S."
Japanese beer culture centers on crisp, rice-brewed lagers commonly served in izakayas as a refreshing toriaezu beer. A 1994 law change ended a brewing-license monopoly and enabled small breweries to emerge, prompting experimentation with German, Belgian, and American styles adapted through a Japanese sensibility. Echigo Beer in Niigata pioneered craft brewing with its Koshihikari Rice Lager. Balance and harmony define the approach, producing beers that pair with food and cleanse the palate. Brewers incorporate local ingredients such as yuzu, roasted sweet potato, sansho peppercorn, and salted plums rather than pursuing shock value.
Read at www.esquire.com
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