Nakano's Chillaxin' Book Shop adds Minoh Beer's new seasonal duo
Chillaxin' Book Shop in Nakano has added two seasonal beers from Minoh Beer: PLUM GOSE, brewed with ripe Japanese plums and plum vinegar, and Vit Natt IPA, a revived collab Hazy IPA with Sweden's BREWSKI.
Hop BroNakano's Chillaxin' Book Shop just got two new Minoh beers in. Having them in that book-and-coffee atmosphere is honestly unfair in the best way.
MugiWait, a bookstore and beer pub together? Flipping through a book with limited beer sounds like an instant perfect day!
Hop BroThe new arrivals are PLUM GOSE and Vit Natt IPA. The first one is a gose made with Nanko plums, and it's basically built for hot weather.
MugiWhat is a gose exactly? A hint of saltiness in beer? My brain has already started looking for snacks!
Hop BroIt's not aggressively salty, it's more like acidity and umami being gently tied together by salt. PLUM GOSE layers soft ripe plum fruitiness with mellow plum vinegar, and the finish stays really light.
MugiOhhh, that mellow plum-vinegar note makes it sound rounded, not just sharply sour. I could totally crush that on a hot day!
Hop BroThen Vit Natt IPA is a revived BREWSKI collab, done as a Hazy IPA. It throws out big citrus and tropical hop aromas right away.
MugiHazy already sounds like a fog machine! When you add oats and wheat, what does that actually do to the beer?
Hop BroThat's the fun part: it creates a soft, plush mouthfeel. Even with that juicy haze, it doesn't get cloying, and it carries the aroma really smoothly.
MugiAnd Vit Natt means the white night, right? Even the name feels stylish. I'm traveling before I've even picked up the glass!
Hop BroStanding by the shelves and comparing PLUM GOSE with Vit Natt IPA feels like a seasonal double feature. One cools you down with fruit, the other pulls you in with aroma.
MugiThat's it, I'm sold. I want a side-by-side tasting, plus one good book, and then I'm disappearing into Nakano!
Chillaxin' Book Shop in Nakano has brought in a new seasonal pair from Minoh Beer. The venue blends a used bookstore with a beer pub, so visitors can browse books while choosing a beer for the season.
The two arrivals
- PLUM GOSE
A gose brewed with Nanko plums from Minabe, Wakayama. The ripe plum character adds soft fruitiness, while plum vinegar brings rounded acidity and depth. A light saline finish keeps the beer crisp and refreshing.
- Vit Natt IPA
A revived Hazy IPA born from a collaboration with Sweden's BREWSKI. Citrus and tropical hop aromas meet a soft body from oats and wheat. Vit Natt means white night in Swedish.
The appeal of this shop goes beyond beer alone. Its mix of coffee, secondhand books, and Minoh Beer makes it a place where you can slow down and enjoy a seasonal pour at an easy pace. For drinkers looking to compare a plum-driven gose with a hop-forward Hazy IPA, this is a practical and appealing stop in Nakano.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroNakano's Chillaxin' Book Shop just got two new Minoh beers in. Having them in that book-and-coffee atmosphere is honestly unfair in the best way.
MugiWait, a bookstore and beer pub together? Flipping through a book with limited beer sounds like an instant perfect day!
Hop BroThe new arrivals are PLUM GOSE and Vit Natt IPA. The first one is a gose made with Nanko plums, and it's basically built for hot weather.
MugiWhat is a gose exactly? A hint of saltiness in beer? My brain has already started looking for snacks!
Hop BroIt's not aggressively salty, it's more like acidity and umami being gently tied together by salt. PLUM GOSE layers soft ripe plum fruitiness with mellow plum vinegar, and the finish stays really light.
MugiOhhh, that mellow plum-vinegar note makes it sound rounded, not just sharply sour. I could totally crush that on a hot day!
Hop BroThen Vit Natt IPA is a revived BREWSKI collab, done as a Hazy IPA. It throws out big citrus and tropical hop aromas right away.
MugiHazy already sounds like a fog machine! When you add oats and wheat, what does that actually do to the beer?
Hop BroThat's the fun part: it creates a soft, plush mouthfeel. Even with that juicy haze, it doesn't get cloying, and it carries the aroma really smoothly.
MugiAnd Vit Natt means the white night, right? Even the name feels stylish. I'm traveling before I've even picked up the glass!
Hop BroStanding by the shelves and comparing PLUM GOSE with Vit Natt IPA feels like a seasonal double feature. One cools you down with fruit, the other pulls you in with aroma.
MugiThat's it, I'm sold. I want a side-by-side tasting, plus one good book, and then I'm disappearing into Nakano!
