Shinobazu Brewery Hitsuji Ice

Shinobazu Brewery Hitsuji Ice is a brewery located right near Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, and what makes it interesting is the idea of its representative, Hiromi Maekawa. She noticed that Ueno had no locally produced, locally consumed products, so she went ahead and started growing hops right in the streets of Ueno.

Exactly. They grow hops together with local companies and organizations at more than 10 locations in the Ueno area. It has been an effort that has continued for over three years, and they use those hops to brew their own beer. Their flagship beer, "Hitsuji Ice," is an American pale ale brewed with twice the usual amount of hops, so you can really enjoy the aroma and flavor of hops.

They have a hazy IPA called "Shinobazu YELL ALE!" with 6% ABV, and it has a nice balance of fruity aroma and moderate bitterness. They also released seasonal beers, including "Haru no Hitsuji," a blonde ale made with salted cherry blossoms and cherry juice, and "morinagi," a spiced wheat ale.

That's exactly the other face of this place. Their motto is "Love sheep in their entirety," and they carry more than 20 cuts of lamb. Apparently, they sometimes receive the rare lamb from Atsuma Town in Hokkaido several times a year, and they are serious about beer and sheep pairings.

It's on Nakamachi-dori, a 5-minute walk from JR Ueno Station, and the private rooms on the second floor each have a beer server at the table. They offer an all-you-can-drink plan where you can pour as much as you like yourself.