Refreshing brew perfect for hot summer day

By Lauren Shannon

Food Aug. 23, 2012 - 06:20AM JST ( 2 )

TOKYO —

Here’s a suggestion for what everyone needs right now - a GREAT summer beer.

I fought it for years - this feeling that in Japan, wine was for fall, winter and spring, but only beer worked in the hot steamy summer. From July to September, statisticians say that beer consumption in Japan increases by a factor of 5 and wine consumption similarly decreases to a trickle. I am mostly a wine drinker but as the summers come and go, I can see the point.

Imagine a hot summer day - the kind of day when you take a shower in the morning - head outside and 5 minutes later you cannot remember if you took that shower or not. Humid is just not strong enough a word. Now close your eyes and try to think what alcoholic drink do you need this second. Yup! Beer. It’s just that simple.

Since I am a wine person, I am looking for a bit more pizazz in my brew. Something more interesting than Asahi Super Dry. Lucky for me, craft beer fans are finally getting a foothold in the brewing and import markets here. So choices are increasing at the speed of the shinkansen. Gone are the days when an interesting beer choice was Heineken. Now you can find it all—American micro brews, classic Belgian beers, German beers, and yes, even a good group of Japanese microbrews. Thank goodness.

Today we are featuring a must-try for the summer heat. This beer just feels like a summer day and tastes like a picnic with friends. It comes to us from the importer and brew master Phref Kaufmann at EZO beers. http://www.ezo-beer.com/eng/index.htm

It is time to finally reveal this magical brew… “Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat. “ From Eureka, California.

Fruity but not too fruity, light, wheat-field tasting hops. Totally refreshing and yet complex. 

According to the marketing people: “A refreshing citrus ale, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat combines Lost Coast Harvest Wheat with natural tangerine flavors. Brewed with a combination of wheat and crystal malts, and finished with Perle hops.”

Delicious, and you can even feel good about those orange flavors being all-natural!

This one is not a beer for folks who like a heavier wheat beer, or for folks who want BIG fruit taste in a fruit beer. But if you are looking for something new and refreshing for summer, I can’t think of a better more refreshing brew.

If you want to try it out in Tokyo, you can enjoy a bottle or two at the following restaurants and bars.

Reno’s Bistro
Higashikurume-shi, Tokyo
Phone
Tel: 042-410-3949
Website: www.renosbistro.com

Beer & Wine Cafe 65
http://otsuka65.com/index.html
Tel: 03-64504665

Kimono Wine and Grill
1-15-28 Minami Aoayama
Near Exit 3 Nogizaka Station
5 minutes from Tokyo Midtown
www.kimonowinebar.com

(Disclosure- I am the owner of Kimono)

Or you can order directly from Ezo Beer and get a case or two sent to your home. 
http://www.ezo-beer.com/eng/index.htm

Cheers!