My second stop on my mini Tachikawa taprooms tour was the new Vertere taproom, situated just round the corner from the original Sakamichi brewery and taproom. I don’t know what’s happening with Vertere but they seem to be expanding quickly at the moment. Hot on the heels of their Eifuku taproom, we now have a bigger taproom, maybe (kind of) half way between the new Eifuku place and their original taproom and brewery in Okutama. It makes sense for Vertere to have a proper bar in a bit more central area as the Okutama place now has quite limited opening hours. Anyway here’s what you need to know:
- A modern craft beer bar style interior in a slightly old-fashioned looking building. Lots of bare concrete and a selection of tables. Maybe seating for around 20 with a little standing area too. Watch out for the step between the entrance area and the bar. I saw someone spill a lot of their drink due to it. I have to say that the tables for two near the door are a little cramped when it comes to getting to them when going to and from the bar, (there’s no table service so you might be getting up and sitting down a bit if you there for a session), so I’d probably sit somewhere else next time.
- A bumper 20 taps of their own beers, at pretty normal prices. Beer usually served in two sizes, the 330ml regular and the 475ml large. Very strong stuff is served the special ‘onesize’ size which is 250ml. Prices for the regular ranged from ¥900-¥1200 and for the larger ranged from ¥1200 to ¥1500. There was only one ‘onesize’ beer on the list when I visited and that cost ¥1100. There’s definitely good value to be had if you want to drink the cheaper stuff. I did, and not just because of the price. Lots of cans in the fridge but they are for takeaway only, which males me think that is probably the case with the Eifuku branch too.
- Cashless payment only. This is becoming increasingly common recently. No cover charge, lots of daytime opening (be careful though, it closes at 10:00 so perhaps a little earlier than some might expect). I couldn’t find / didn’t check for WiFi. I can’t remember which of those it is, but I think the former. Feels like the kind of place that would have it though, doesn’t it?
I think I probably said the same thing about the Eifuku taproom, but I quite like Vertere’s beers, so this was a nice place for me to visit. The fact that there are plenty of taps is good for me as I am getting increasingly fussy as I get older. There were a wide range of styles so perhaps there’s something for everyone here. Whilst it is always fun to go to Okutama, it is quite far, and as they don’t take reservations at the original taproom, it’s a bit of a risk to go there with your fingers crossed all the way. So a significantly more accessible location must be a good thing. The advantage this place has over Eifuku is that there are double the amount of taps and there are infinitely more seats (I think my maths is technically correct on that front). I guess the disadvantage might come depending on where you’re visiting from, as Tachikawa is still a bit of a hike from central Tokyo. But significantly for me, it is somewhere that I find myself going now and then, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be back here again some time.
Japanese breweries seen on tap here:
Vertere
Opening Hours:
Monday-Saturday, 14:00-22:00
Sunday, 12:00-22:00
Location/map:
柴崎町 2-5-8, 宝ビル 1階, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo
Telephone:
042-512-6982