Second Beer.

"Second Beer." is a brewery in Kodemmacho, Nihonbashi, and the brewer, Kazuyuki Shimoda, has a really interesting background. He graduated from a vocational agricultural high school majoring in food sciences, wanted to become a pastry chef, but during the employment ice age he ended up at a wagashi shop, and from there moved through French and Italian kitchens...

The thing is, while he was working as a chef, he discovered homebrewing and was stunned by the idea that he could make beer himself. He got completely hooked, and after serving as manager of Nihombashi Brewery, he struck out on his own. He said, 'If you can only cook, you'll get buried; you need the weapon of brewing.'

Exactly, and the lineup is really distinctive. Labels like 'Mikurajima Kabutsu IPA,' 'Sansho Yuzu Ale,' and 'Tea Leaf and Yuzu Kolsch' show the brewer's culinary background in the way Japanese ingredients are used. There's even a release called 'Shuwashuwa Hop Sake,' which pushes right up against the boundary between sake and beer.

The location is unique too: it's inside a Brooklyn-themed food hall called COMMISSARY. There's a glass-walled brewing space and seven taps running at all times, so you can enjoy beer alongside the tacos and pizza next door.

They also do some fun activities, like a 'run beer club' where everyone goes for a run and then toasts with beer afterward. They also run an online shop so people who can't visit the brewery can still get their beer.