Shiokaze Blue Lab Brewery

What kind of brewery is Shiokaze Blue Lab Brewery?

hop excitedHop Bro

Shiokaze Blue Lab is something else. The owner, Chris Pool, is amazing. He came to Japan in 1980, and the first place he lived was Chiba. After that, he spent more than 10 years as the brewmaster at Baird Brewing.

mugi surprisedMugi

Wait, Baird is that famous brewery in Shizuoka, right? The person who was in charge of brewing there was in Chiba!?

hop proudHop Bro

Exactly. He joined in 2002 as a brewing assistant, then became brewmaster in Numazu and plant manager in Shuzenji. After building up that kind of career, he went independent in Soga in 2020. He says Chiba is his “home in Japan.”

mugi movedMugi

Wow! He came back to the city where he first lived 40 years ago... That alone is so moving.

hop thinkingHop Bro

At first, it was a phantom brewery. They brewed using equipment borrowed from places like Snark Liquid Works in Ikebukuro and Beer Brain in Kashiwa. The fact that the name includes “Lab” comes from their belief in deepening research into ingredients.

mugi surprisedMugi

What is that! It’s not just Brew, it’s Lab. So, what kinds of beers do they have?

hop excitedHop Bro

Their staple, “Keiyo Kölsch,” is fruity and crisp with no bitterness. They also have “Yazamani Pale,” and one interesting one is a daringly named beer called “Shibakuzo!” (laughs). More recently, they released the IPA “Shiokaze Meidō,” made with NZ hops, at ABV 6.0% and IBU 43.

mugi happyMugi

A beer called “Shibakuzo!”? That’s definitely the kind that gets people talking (laughs). And Shiokaze Meidō sounds interesting too.

hop normalHop Bro

And the brewer, Takashi Watanabe, has an interesting background too. He’s from Minamiboso, trained at beer bars in Azabu-Juban and at Galapagos Racing in Kanagawa, and met Chris at Yggdrasil Brewing in Hiratsuka before joining the team.

mugi movedMugi

So people who walked different paths came together in Chiba. Their next new gose, “Island Delight,” with shikwasa and snow salt, sounds perfect for summer! I want to go!

Signature beers: Keiyo KölschShiokaze MeidōYazamani PaleShibakuzo!

articles about bars serving beers from Shiokaze Blue Lab Brewery

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