American craft beer aficionados eager for a taste of home will have a chance to try several award-winning brews at an upcoming festival in Japan.
The eighth annual American Craft Beer Experience is coming to Hibiya Park in central Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward for a three-day celebration of suds, Nov. 22-24. More than 40 breweries from 14 U.S. states will be on hand with more than 120 beers, offering a wide-ranging selection of IPAs, lagers, stouts, pilsners and porters to satisfy every type of palate.
Representatives and brewing experts from over 20 of the breweries will be present for guided tastings, informational sessions and cultural exchanges that look to highlight and help expand Japan’s growing craft beer market.
Breweries on site will include several well-known staples of the American craft beer scene, such as California’s Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery and Florida’s Cigar City Brewing. Attendees can also sample brews from newer and lesser-known outfits, like Arizona’s Wren House Brewing Company, Virginia’s Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Alaska’s 49th State Brewing.
General admission to the festival is free and open to the public. Drinks are purchased individually, with costs varying by size and style. There will also be a variety of food trucks and live music for entertainment.
The festival is primarily organized by the Brewers Association, the U.S. trade group of over 5,400 independent brewers that promotes craft beer and homebrewing. This year, the Brewers Association is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and the U.S. Meat Export Federation to be part of the larger American Festival gourmet food show, according to Rachel Weiss, a public relations account manager with the Brewers Association’s Backbone Media.
The Brewers Association is expecting about 10,000 attendees over the three-day Beer Experience, Weiss said in a Nov. 6 email to Stars and Stripes.
On the QT
Directions: Hibiya Park, 1-6 Hibiyakoen, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0012. The park is accessible via multiple train lines at several nearby stations, including Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, Sakuradamon and Yurakucho.
Timess: Open noon to 8 p.m., Nov. 22; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Nov. 23; 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Nov. 24.
Costs: Free general admission. Beer prices vary by seller, size and style.
Food: Food trucks will also be present.
Information: Online at uscraftbeer.jp
