Novor Brewing's "Hodoku" Tapped at Kokubunji Gambrinus; 17 Domestic and International Beers on the Board
Beer Cafe Gambrinus in Kokubunji, Tokyo, released its draft beer lineup for March 20, 2026, and tapped Novor Brewing's "Hodoku" today. In addition to craft beers from places like Miyazaki, Tokyo, and Kyoto, the lineup also includes an upcoming Czech-style lager arrival, making for a broad selection with plenty of room for comparison tasting.
Hop BroAt Beer Cafe Gambrinus in Kokubunji, Hodoku has been tapped. When Novor Brewing's weizenbock comes in, it really makes the wheat aroma rise up right away.
MugiWhoa! Weizenbock? That sounds intense, but is that a type of beer?
Hop BroExactly. Think of it as a wheat bock. It combines the banana-like aroma of a weizen with the richness and body of a bock, so it's softly sweet but still substantial.
MugiHuh, a banana-like aroma? It doesn't actually have bananas in it, right? The fruitiness just hits all of a sudden, and my brain can't keep up!
Hop BroNo bananas in it, and that's the interesting part. It's the ester aroma compounds produced by the yeast, so the fermentation-derived aroma gives that impression. On that day, Gambrinus had everything from a Miyazaki kinkan lager to a Kyoto IPA on tap, so the flavor range was really wide.
MugiWow, the flavor range is so wide I'd get lost before my first glass! Kinkan, saison, IPA, porter... it's basically a beer theme park!
Hop BroAnd it's not just a lot of beers, either. The lineup is easy to taste through. From a light lager to an aromatic saison, a bitter IPA, and a porter to finish, there's fun in planning the order.
MugiSo it's all set up for you to think from the first glass to the last. If it were me, I'd start with something Helles-like to keep it crisp, detour into a hazy midway, and finish with a porter and pass out!
Hop BroThat's actually a pretty solid flow. Plus, the next moves are already announced: Bernard's Dark 12° and Gambrinus's 12° are both on the way, so whether you go now or next time, there's more to look forward to.
MugiWait, it keeps going like that? Having something to look forward to next time makes me want to keep coming back. And if it's near Kokubunji Station, I'll probably get pulled in after work...
Hop BroExactly. You can toast the Hodoku tap today and enjoy imagining which keg will come next. All right, let's go in thinking we'll only have one, and then end up having one more.
MugiYeah, that's definitely dangerous! If you tell me to have one more, I won't be able to stop either, and now I want to head to Kokubunji right away!
In a March 20, 2026 post released by Beer Cafe GAMBRINUS / BEER CAFE GAMBRINUS, the guest beer Novor Brewing "Hodoku (Weizenbock)" was tapped. Business hours are 17:00-25:00 (food L.O. 23:00, drinks L.O. 24:00).
The shop, near Kokubunji Station, is known for centering on domestic craft beers while also mixing in imported labels. That day's "today's draft beers" offered a wide range of styles, from a fruit lager from Miyazaki to a saison from Tokyo, an IPA from Kyoto, and a porter from Shiga, making it easy to build a lineup from the first glass to the last.
Full tap list for the day (including excerpted items)
- Novor Brewing "Hodoku"
- Hideji Beer, Miyazaki "Kyushu Craft Kinkan"
- Saikado Brewing "Hanami"
- Kyoto Brewing "Spring Whim"
- Flora Fermentation "Tayu"
- Number Nine "#9 Hazy"
- Blue Classic "Ura Tiger Vibe Haze"
- Minoh Beer "Nice Bitter"
- Shiga Kogen Beer "Shiga Kogen Helles!?"
- Nomcraft "Armadillo Outlaw"
- Ogna "India Pale Ale"
- Let's Beer Works "On My Way to the Moon"
- Pilsner Urquell
In addition, the post also announced the next move, including Bernard "Dark 12°" (scheduled for delivery on 3/26) and Gambrinus "12°" (scheduled for delivery on 4/7). It's a post that lets you enjoy today's tap opening while also making it easy to plan your next visit.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroAt Beer Cafe Gambrinus in Kokubunji, Hodoku has been tapped. When Novor Brewing's weizenbock comes in, it really makes the wheat aroma rise up right away.
MugiWhoa! Weizenbock? That sounds intense, but is that a type of beer?
Hop BroExactly. Think of it as a wheat bock. It combines the banana-like aroma of a weizen with the richness and body of a bock, so it's softly sweet but still substantial.
MugiHuh, a banana-like aroma? It doesn't actually have bananas in it, right? The fruitiness just hits all of a sudden, and my brain can't keep up!
Hop BroNo bananas in it, and that's the interesting part. It's the ester aroma compounds produced by the yeast, so the fermentation-derived aroma gives that impression. On that day, Gambrinus had everything from a Miyazaki kinkan lager to a Kyoto IPA on tap, so the flavor range was really wide.
MugiWow, the flavor range is so wide I'd get lost before my first glass! Kinkan, saison, IPA, porter... it's basically a beer theme park!
Hop BroAnd it's not just a lot of beers, either. The lineup is easy to taste through. From a light lager to an aromatic saison, a bitter IPA, and a porter to finish, there's fun in planning the order.
MugiSo it's all set up for you to think from the first glass to the last. If it were me, I'd start with something Helles-like to keep it crisp, detour into a hazy midway, and finish with a porter and pass out!
Hop BroThat's actually a pretty solid flow. Plus, the next moves are already announced: Bernard's Dark 12° and Gambrinus's 12° are both on the way, so whether you go now or next time, there's more to look forward to.
MugiWait, it keeps going like that? Having something to look forward to next time makes me want to keep coming back. And if it's near Kokubunji Station, I'll probably get pulled in after work...
Hop BroExactly. You can toast the Hodoku tap today and enjoy imagining which keg will come next. All right, let's go in thinking we'll only have one, and then end up having one more.
MugiYeah, that's definitely dangerous! If you tell me to have one more, I won't be able to stop either, and now I want to head to Kokubunji right away!
