My second stop along the Chuo line was Musashisakai station, to visit 26K Brewery. If I hadn’t been checking my map closely I might have missed it, as the taproom is inside a multipurpose space combined with a coffee roaster and cafe. I was a bit unsure, but when I peered through the door and spotted a tap line up I decided to venture in. Much like at OGA, I couldn’t see any signs of the brewery here, so I guess that is either in a different building nearby or tucked away out of sight. (Preparing this post, I spotted a photograph which makes it look like it’s at the cafe end of the premises rather than the end where I was sitting). This place was pretty bustling on a Sunday afternoon and it seemed like people were enjoying all aspects of the multipurpose space. But as we’re here to talk about beer, here’s what you need to know:
- Given that it’s a multipurpose space it’s a bit difficult to work out what I should say about seating. By the beer taps there was a small counter with five or six seats and this is where I plonked myself. There are many more seats in the cafe area though and I think you can sit wherever you want. Order at the till directly in front of the door and pay as you go. Nice space with a nice atmosphere and plenty going on.
- Five taps of their own beer served in three sizes, short (250ml), regular (350ml) and pint (470ml). Prices were the same for all beers and were ¥750, ¥920 and ¥1200 respectively. They also had a beer flight of three glasses of 170ml for ¥1250 which seems like a good deal. However, I only noticed this as I looked at my photo to check the prices so I didn’t take advantage of it this time. I went for their sour ale ‘Acerola Sour’ and it was really nice. A very welcome and pleasant surprise!
- Lots of food options (unsurprising as it’s a cafe too). No cover charge. Lots of daytime opening (closed Wednesday though) and they have WiFi.
I really liked the beer I had here and would have liked to have stayed a bit longer. But you know, on a mission, and all that. It’s about a five minute walk from Musashisakai station so pretty convenient if you’re in the area. Saying that, this was the first time I had ever been to Musashisakai, and maybe was also the first time I had even heard of the station, so perhaps it’s not so common for people who don’t live nearby to be in the area. Aside from the nice beer and nice experience, I also really liked the brewery logo that was printed on their glasses. A fun place and I’d definitely go back again!
Japanese breweries on tap when I visited:
26K Brewery
Opening Hours:
Thursday-Tuesday, 10:00-21:00
Closed Wednesday
Location/map:
境南町 3-2-13, Musashino-shi, Tokyo
Telephone:
0422-38-5500
Errr… as far as Wi-Fi goes, take a closer look at IMG_7035.jpg, your first image above. Look along the right edge of the photo, above the ‘Store Hours’ sticker. Blue letters on a white background.
Of course, it could be wrong. ;=)}
Haha! Well spotted! I’ll update the post. Thanks