Tokyo Food Page
šShinano Brewery/
Nagano-ken: Brewpub
₯026-255-6633
€Data
If your summer
travels take you
past the village of
Kurohime, about 30
minutes north of
Nagano City, the
Shinano brewery is
definitely worth a
visit. (You can also
sample their deli-
cious beers in Tokyo
- see below.) A
quick cab ride from
Kurohime station,
Lake Nojiri and
nearby ski resorts,
the brewery offers
four or five varie-
ties of fresh-from-
the-tank beer along
with a full food
menu.

It's hard to pick a
favorite among the
beers - their Dragon
Ale (dark), Mountain
Ale (amber) and
richly flavored
seasonal Snow Lager
are all among the
best craft beers in
Japan, so they're
definitely all worth
a try. (There's also
a pale ale and a
stout.) Glasses
(295ml) are Y450,
while pints are
Y680. The brewmaster
studied his art at
the legendary Ip-
switch Brewery in
New England, and the
style is reminiscent
of the distinctively
hoppy US West Coast
beers.

The food menu is
well thought out,
with full- flavored
smoked trout,
grilled char (iwana)
and home-made spicy
sausages standing up
to the brews. Sand-
wiches include home-
made bread incorpo-
rating the leftover
barley from the
beer-making process
- part of the brew-
ery's "zero emis-
sions" policy. The
menu also includes
beer pickles,
grilled chicken with
garlic, and even
home-made sauer-
kraut, with most
items around Y850.
The only quibble is
their early closing
hour - 7pm.

The setting is mod-
ern rural, with lots
of wooden planks and
piped-in jazz. The
space is big, but
call ahead (026-255-
6633) to make sure
there's not a tour
group visiting. If
it's not too busy
the brewmaster may
even give you a
short tour of the
brewing room (in
Japanese). Take any
cab from Kurohime
station (c. Y1500) -
the drivers all know
the way, and will
proudly tell you
about Shinano's many
awards while they're
driving you there.
₯Photo
₯Google Map
₯Map for AU phones
₯Map for DoCoMo
₯Nearest restau-
rants
₯Nearest cafes/
bars
2121-2 Kamiyamaku-
wa, Nojiri.  Open
11am-7pm daily.
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