BUZZED LAMB BREWING

BUZZED LAMB BREWING is in Yanaka, and the building itself is already incredible. It used to be the former shop of Isego Honten, a long-established liquor store founded in 1706 during the era of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, and they are using a nearly 100-year-old early Showa-era detached house as it is. There is a cedar ball hanging from the eaves.

Exactly. The shop manager, Hikaru Tamura, and the brewer, Reo Sato, were both originally staff at Isego Honten. It started when Tamura was shocked after drinking a Hazy IPA from the American brewery Revision. He said, 'The smooth mouthfeel, the vibrant aroma, and the bitterness is restrained but it's still genuinely delicious.' From there, he was totally hooked.

They say it's because both of them are Aries, so 'LAMB.' And the interesting thing about this brewery is that they don't serve any regular beers at all. They never repeat the same recipe twice. Every time you go, the lineup is completely different.

Exactly. Their recent new release, 'MONAURALLAB,' is a stout made with cacao shells and nuts, at 5.5% ABV. They even make use of cacao husks from a chocolate factory. And the 'SnekeStreetIPA' I had before was also memorable.

And the food is seriously legit too. Chef Tomoki Ikeba came from French cuisine, and he serves dishes with herbal touches that pair with the beer. Things like lamb gyoza and liver pate bruschetta.

Yeah, they do things like bar-hopping projects in collaboration with seven nearby shops, and even rakugo performances at the brewery. They really blend into the Yanaka neighborhood. The brewing equipment is visible through the glass, and it feels easy to drop in even alone.