On the corner of Ginza 6-chome Crossing, about a 5-minute walk from Ginあza Station, you will find a beer hall with a retro storefront. A peek inside reveals a lively atmosphere filled with businessmen, office workers, and other adults after work on weekdays and holidays. This is the rumored “Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-chome Branch.
As a former worker in the area, this place was like an otherworldly existence for me, a place where I could get rid of my daily frustrations. At the same time, it has been a sacred place for Ginza businessmen and office workers for 130 years, and a beer hall that serves excellent beer. Now then, let us introduce you to this historic beer hall.
History
In August 1899, Yebisu Beer Beer Hall opened in Ginza 8-chome, present-day Tokyo. This was the first beer hall in Japan. The main purpose of the beer hall, which was created on the idea of Kyohei Umakoshi, president of Nippon Breweries, was to advertise Ebisu Beer. The main purpose was to have people taste freshly brewed beer directly from the factory and to let them know how good it was. In choosing a name for Japan’s first new type of beer hall, we borrowed the wisdom of Japanese and foreigners who were familiar with the English language. The missionaries’ opinion led to the decision to call it “Beer Salon. However, an Englishman told us, “The missionary seems to have an image of an elegant salon, but in the Yokohama area, a salon is a disreputable place. The missionary seemed to have an image of an elegant salon, but in Yokohama, a salon is a disreputable place, so a hall would be a better name. The scale of the restaurant was 35 tsubos (about 1.5 m2), with a counter to the left of the entrance and a nickel stand, linoleum flooring, chairs and tables made of beer barrel wood, and glass beer mugs as drinking vessels. The restaurant was designed by architect Yorihiro Tsumaki, who had a doctorate in engineering, and the record states that he was asked to create an eccentric design.
The beer hall opened in a rented space on the second floor of a two-story brick building, but it was so luxurious that it became very prosperous, with murals by Kobayashi Naruko, a famous painter at the time. Some people even came by horse-drawn carriage from far away.
Commitment to Beer
The secret to the great taste of Ginza Lion’s draft beer is the “once pouring” method, a traditional method of brewing draft beer that has been handed down for over a century. Beer servers (machines used to pour beer) commonly used in restaurants extract the beer liquid and foam separately. In this method of pouring draft beer, the “liquid” of the beer is poured first, and then the “foam” made at the end is added. The beer server used at Ginza Lion has a slightly different pouring mechanism. This is the traditional “once pour. First, the glass or mug is tilted at an angle of 11 to 12 degrees, and the beer that comes out of the extraction opening with great force is gently received by the inner surface of the glass, creating a leftward swirl. At this moment, fine bubbles spread out and the inside of the liquid becomes whitish. As the glass is filled with beer and the swirling slows down, the bubbles spreading within the liquid rise to the surface of the beer, creating a fluffy layer of bubbles. The key to “pouring once” is to rotate the beer in the glass as it is poured, which removes excess carbon dioxide and traps any unwanted flavors in the foam, resulting in a beer with a clean throat and low bitterness. Even customers who say they cannot drink beer because of its bitterness have told us that they can drink Ginza Lion’s draft beer.
Craftsmanship
In order to serve delicate draft beer with great taste, we control the temperature, gas pressure, and cleanliness thoroughly. Furthermore, we have installed a beer server capable of “pouring once” to create foam while pouring beer. The mug is in the right hand and the callan is operated with the left hand. Stand naturally in front of the callan, tilt the mug at a slight angle, place the pour spout on the beer passage line deep inside and open the callan. Hold the mug with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers, and place the index finger against the side of the mug. The thumb lightly presses down on the tip of the “Karan” lever. The mug is lowered in proportion to the amount of beer being drunk, and the thumb is moved to the upper end of the handle to support the mug as it becomes heavier. Then, just before the ratio of foam to liquid reaches 3:7, the beer is ready… With a straight face, of course. Then he goes to the counter with a smile of hospitality.
Menu
Sapporo Draft Beer Black Label: A long-selling brand that has been focusing on “freshness” since its launch in 1977. It has a refreshing aftertaste with the umami taste of barley and is very drinkable. It is a perfect match for any food.
Yebisu Beer Yebisu has been delivering the same great taste for over 130 years. It is characterized by 100% malted barley, Yebisu yeast, Bavarian aroma hops, and long aging.
Yebisu Premium Black is a long-aged black beer made with special charcoal-roasted malt, a traditional three-boiling process that brings out the flavor of the malt three times, and carefully selected yeast.
At the end.
How was it? The hot summer is still going on. You probably want to pour a cold beer down your parched throat right away, don’t you? If so, head out to the streets of Ginza. There, you will find a beer hall with a traditional interior and artisanally poured beer waiting for you.
The writer of this blog: Ricky
Leave it to us when it comes to culture! Ricky, the Japanese culture evangelist, will turn you into a Japan geek!
Source
Official HP
