Tokyo Beer Lab

Tokyo Beer Lab is a brewery that opened in Harajuku in 2024, and its concept is wild: “a laboratory to enjoy beer and music.” There’s a DJ booth right next to the brewing tanks.

The representative, Ryuji Takeda, recovered from a serious accident, traveled the world, and encountered craft beer and music festivals in many places. He wanted to fuse those two passions, so after apprenticing at Gahaha Beer in Toyocho, he went independent.

The co-founders are unique too. There’s Xan, a DJ musician, and Angela Faragasso, a researcher who earned a PhD in robotics at King’s College London and also conducted research at the University of Tokyo. It’s an unusually eclectic trio.

The beer lineup is experimental too. 'TROPICAL PUNCH' is a Sour IPA at 7.0% ABV, 'SEVENTH HEAVEN' is a West Coast IPA at 7.7%, and 'IMPERIAL CRIMSON' is an Imperial Gose at 9.0%. They even make 'EDELTOKIO,' a lager brewed with traditional German methods, so the range is huge.

Inside, silver brewing tanks line the space, and red LED lights and DJ gear make it look like a cockpit. They also regularly stream a DJ live show called 'The Brewcast,' so you can drink beer while techno plays. Takeda says, 'There’s no way beer soaked in techno wouldn’t taste good.'

In Harajuku, they built a brewery in a place where people come from all over the world, and they’re trying to transcend borders through beer and music. As the name 'Lab' suggests, it’s a brewery full of excitement because you never know what will come out next.