Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We will be ushering out 2009 and drinking in 2010 with New Year’s Eve Countdown festivities at all three of our Taproom pubs.  Event details follow:

Numazu Fishmarket Taproom Countdown Party (5:00 pm – 1:00 am, Dec. 31):

• All-You-Can-Eat Mexican Buffet @ 1,000 yen per person (5:00 – 10:00 pm)    
• 500 yen Baird Beers throughout the evening
• Midnight Debut of Hatsujozo 2010 Belgian Black Ale (Complimentary glass to all patrons for 2010 inaugural toast)
• Reservations NOT required

Nakameguro Taproom Countdown Party (6:00 pm – 1:00 am, Dec. 31):

• All-You-Can-Eat Buffet @ 1,500 yen per person
• Baird Beer:  700 yen pints and 500 yen half-pints all evening
• Midnight Debut of Hatsujozo 2010 Belgian Black Ale (Complimentary glass to all patrons for 2010 inaugural toast)
• Reservations NOT required

HarajukuTaproom Countdown Evening (5:00 pm – 1:00 am, Dec. 31):

• Food & Beer as normal (Great if you want to just chill at a yakitori pub on New Year’s Eve)
• Special and exclusive tapping of 2-year conditioned high gravity winter Baird Beer
• Midnight Debut of Hatsujozo 2010 Belgian Black Ale (Complimentary glass to all patrons for 2010 inaugural toast)
• Reservations NOT required

Hatsujozo 2010 Belgian Black Ale (ABV 7%):

At Baird Beer we mark the transition to each new year with the release of a special “First-Brewed” commemorative ale in celebration of the fresh possibilities represented by the turning of the calendar.  In years past, Hatsujozo always had been a Double IPA by style.  This year, though, in consideration of the fact that Suruga Bay Imperial IPA is now a brand in our year-round portfolio, we decided it would be more interesting to change things up by brewing a different style of beer each year for the Hatsujozo series. 

Hatsujozo 2010 is what you might consider a Belgian-style Black Ale.  Brewed with a large percentage of Japanese dark sugar (kokuto) and Chocolate Wheat Malt, Hatsujozo 2010 is fermented warm with a Belgian saison yeast.  At packaging, we chose to krausen with Angry Boy Brown Ale, thus adding a different non-Belgian yeast to the party.  Post-package fermentation and maturation has lasted seven months.  The result is a funky, complex, potent yet light-bodied black ale.  We have never tasted anything quite like it!

Hatsujozo 2010 Belgian Black Ale is a small-batch, draught-only beer available exclusively at our own Taproom pubs.  Stop in and join us for a complimentary glass when we toast the New Year at the stroke of midnight this upcoming Thursday.

Taproom O-Shogatsu Business Hours:

• The Numazu Fishmarket Taproom will be closed on Friday, January 1.  It will open for two special New Year sessions at noon on January 2 and 3 (Saturday & Sunday), closing both days at 8:00 pm.  Sayuri and Chris will be preparing a special food menu for those two days.  The Fishmarket Taproom will be closed on Monday and Tuesday (January 4-5) before resuming its normal business hours on Wednesday, January 6.
• The Nakameguro Taproom will be closed January 1 – 3, re-opening for normal business in the New Year on Monday, January 4.  A largely new staff will be running the show at Nakameguro beginning in January and they are excited for your business.  We also have added four new taps at Nakameguro from which we will begin pouring a rotating lineup of world-class American craft beers imported to Japan with passion and professionalism by Andrew Balmuth and his team at Nagano Trading.  Stop in on the 4th and see what’s pouring!
• The Harajuku Taproom will be open from noon until Takeshita Dori is empty and lonely from Friday, January 1 through Sunday, January 3.   A special O-sechi ryori plate will be served along with Baird Beer for these three inaugural business days.  If you are planning a trip to nearby Meiji Jingu or Togo Jinja, stop on in and give warm New Year greetings to Naruoka-san, the indefatigable Harajuku Taproom chef and manager.

Happy Holidays!

Bryan Baird