Sakamichi Brewing launches a U.S.-vs.-Japan IPA showcase in Tachikawa
Sakamichi Brewing in Tachikawa starts an IPA contest in its taproom on June 19. The lineup pairs four U.S. IPAs with four Japanese IPAs, giving beer fans a side-by-side look at different hop-driven styles.
Hop BroTachikawa is kicking off a Sakamichi Brewing IPA showdown that's pretty serious. Starting June 19, their taproom is pouring eight IPAs total, four from Japan and four from the US.
MugiWait, Japan versus America? In beer form? Eight IPAs at once sounds like the fridge deserves a medal.
Hop BroThe lineup is stacked. On the US side you've got Trap Door Brewing's Glowed Up and Revision Brewing's Revision DIPA, and Japan brings West Coast Brewing's Full Hop Alchemist r1 and Totopia & Vertere's Diffusiophilia. It's a serious eight-beer card.
MugiHold on, Hazy, WC, and DIPA all in one list? That's not a menu, that's an alphabet attack. Are those actually flavor differences?
Hop BroYep, that's the key. The style differences are the point: Hazy IPA is cloudy and juicy, West Coast IPA is clear and crisp, Cold IPA drinks light and sharp, and DIPA usually comes in stronger and fuller.
MugiOhhh, cloudy and juicy sounds like my kind of friend. DIPA, though, sounds like the one who acts nice and then quietly wrecks your evening.
Hop BroThat's exactly why the comparison works. Put Ruse Brewing's Brain Glow next to Hop Butcher for the World's Finger Food and the hop character jumps right out.
MugiAnd what exactly is hop character supposed to mean? Citrus? Pine? Are we profiling beer ingredients now?
Hop BroPretty much. Some lean tropical, some go dank and piney, some push bitterness harder. DevilCraft's Westerly, being a WC Cold IPA, should show a sharp finish, while Full Hop Alchemist r1 brings a thicker juicy feel.
MugiNo way, a full IPA personality test. So I can drink and say, 'Yep, definitely a pine type'?
Hop BroAnd the setting matters too. Sakamichi Brewing, founded in 2019, puts care into local organic ingredients, so tasting all this in their own taproom feels special. Honestly, I want a full flight already.
MugiSame. I want the eight-IPA tasting so I can compare Japan and the US properly, then immediately order one more favorite.
IPA contest at the Tachikawa taproom
Sakamichi Brewing, based in Tachikawa, Tokyo, is hosting an IPA contest in its taproom starting June 19. According to the brewery’s post, this year’s theme is “Japan vs. America,” with four award-winning U.S. IPAs and four IPAs from leading Japanese breweries, for a total of eight beers.
Lineup
USA
- Trap Door Brewing / Glowed Up / Hazy IPA / 6.5%
- Ruse Brewing / Brain Glow / Hazy IPA / 7.2%
- Hop Butcher for the World (collab with WCB) / Finger Food / WC IPA / 7.0%
- Revision Brewing / Revision DIPA / WC IPA / 8.0%
Japan
- West Coast Brewing / Full Hop Alchemist r1 / Hazy DIPA / 8.5%
- Totopia & Vertere / Diffusiophilia / Hazy DIPA / 8.5%
- DevilCraft / Westerly / WC Cold IPA / 6.0%
- Libushi / Existing is Exhausting / WC IPA / 7.0%
Sakamichi Brewing was founded in 2019 and is based in Shibasaki-cho, Tachikawa. On its official site, the brewery says it aims to brew in western Tokyo with ecologically responsible methods and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, while maintaining a modern and welcoming taproom.
This event brings together hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, a WC Cold IPA, and hazy DIPAs in one place. For drinkers, it is a straightforward way to compare how breweries in Japan and the U.S. interpret hop-forward beer styles.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroTachikawa is kicking off a Sakamichi Brewing IPA showdown that's pretty serious. Starting June 19, their taproom is pouring eight IPAs total, four from Japan and four from the US.
MugiWait, Japan versus America? In beer form? Eight IPAs at once sounds like the fridge deserves a medal.
Hop BroThe lineup is stacked. On the US side you've got Trap Door Brewing's Glowed Up and Revision Brewing's Revision DIPA, and Japan brings West Coast Brewing's Full Hop Alchemist r1 and Totopia & Vertere's Diffusiophilia. It's a serious eight-beer card.
MugiHold on, Hazy, WC, and DIPA all in one list? That's not a menu, that's an alphabet attack. Are those actually flavor differences?
Hop BroYep, that's the key. The style differences are the point: Hazy IPA is cloudy and juicy, West Coast IPA is clear and crisp, Cold IPA drinks light and sharp, and DIPA usually comes in stronger and fuller.
MugiOhhh, cloudy and juicy sounds like my kind of friend. DIPA, though, sounds like the one who acts nice and then quietly wrecks your evening.
Hop BroThat's exactly why the comparison works. Put Ruse Brewing's Brain Glow next to Hop Butcher for the World's Finger Food and the hop character jumps right out.
MugiAnd what exactly is hop character supposed to mean? Citrus? Pine? Are we profiling beer ingredients now?
Hop BroPretty much. Some lean tropical, some go dank and piney, some push bitterness harder. DevilCraft's Westerly, being a WC Cold IPA, should show a sharp finish, while Full Hop Alchemist r1 brings a thicker juicy feel.
MugiNo way, a full IPA personality test. So I can drink and say, 'Yep, definitely a pine type'?
Hop BroAnd the setting matters too. Sakamichi Brewing, founded in 2019, puts care into local organic ingredients, so tasting all this in their own taproom feels special. Honestly, I want a full flight already.
MugiSame. I want the eight-IPA tasting so I can compare Japan and the US properly, then immediately order one more favorite.
