The other night, my daughter and I jokingly asked the respective Siris living inside our iPhones to talk to each other. After a few esoteric attempts at artificial intelligence communication, my phone magically recommended that I check out Tegamisha Brewery. Gave me Google Map directions and all.
This spot opened last June 3rd and is located right in my neighborhood. How could I have missed it? Well, I guess there was that whole pandemic thingy was kicking in around then. Argh. So be it.
With a little bit of prodding by Siri, I checked it out the very next day. The brewery is a project of the Tegashima Collective (a group of designers and editors producing cafes, printed materials, interior goods shops, events, and more) and the interior design and overall vibe reflect its organic-yet-modern approach. Was additionally pleased to find 13 taps of well-curated beer in this comfy-but-cool environment.
Here’s what you need to know:
– 13 taps, all from Japanese breweries. Beer is served in original Tegashima glassware coming in two sizes: Small (¥500 ~ ¥560) and Large (¥750 ~ ¥840). Seems really cheap until you realize that small is really small and large is really medium. Therein, the price range is actually reasonable and average. They sell growlers, do takeout in plastic bottles (for an additional ¥100), and are happy to fill up whatever container you bring.
– A humble (but thorough enough) menu offers snacks (fries, sausage, pickles) and a meal (curry) and desserts (cakes). Soft drinks are available.
– The design-arm of Tegashima came ready! Logo-branded T-shirts, hats, keychains, glassware, postcards, and more are on sale on a series of tables that call to mind a merch-table at a gig.
– The wooden bar offers seating for four or five, with an additional line of counter seating for another four or so. A handful of small tables are scattered here and there, both inside the space and in front just off the sidewalk. Overall, there’s space for around 20.
– Located on Shinagawa-dori, just 4 and 7 minutes, respectively, from Nishi-Chofu and Chofu stations.
Important note:
It’s a brewery-by-name but heads up, they haven’t started mashing the grains and steeping the hops just yet. I checked in with the man behind the bar and learned that brew plans are still brewing (sorry), a delay created by the bad-timing of the Coronavirus. I didn’t see any tanks but was promised everything needed to brew is on the other side of the sidewall. We’ll have to actually try the beer first to be sure, but the choices of beers currently on tap indicated this place will be headed in the right direction.
And until the day, the taps are being well looked after by a great selection of Japanese beer. That, along with the comfy digs, makes this location worth visiting for sure.
Breweries (all Japanese) on tap when I visited:
Izumi
Kyoto
Vertere
Kanpai!
Minoh
Yonezawa Jacks
Fujizakura
Kure
Opening Hours:
Friday – Sunday: 14:00 – 20:00 (last order 19:00)
(Probably COVID opening hours, best to check the website calendar for up to date info)
Location/Map:
下石原2-6-14 ラ·メゾン1階, Chofu-shi, Tokyo
Telephone:
042-444-0660