【EBISU】YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO – beer is ∞

I visited “YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO”, which opened on April 3, 2024 in Yebisu Garden Place!

To get to YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO, go to the East Exit of JR Ebisu Station and walk through the Ebisu Skywalk to Yebisu Garden Place. Center Plaza B1 is the easiest way to get there.

The name “Ebisu” (the next station to Shibuya on Yamanote-Line) actually comes from the fact that there was a brewery for “Yebisu Beer” in this area, and a freight station called “Yebisu Station” was established to deliver the beer. I had thought that “Yebisu Beer” was called “Yebisu Beer” because it was brewed in Ebisu, but it was the other way around.

Admission is free and advance reservations are not required. (Entrance may be restricted depending on how crowded it is.) Photography is allowed, but videos are not.

YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO is a facility that allows visitors to experience Yebisu beer on a different time axis, and is composed of three areas: the Museum Area (past), the Brewery Area (present), and the Taproom Area (future).

Museum Area <Past>

First, I traced the story of Yebisu from its birth to the present in the “Museum Area”. This area has taken over the functions of the Yebisu Beer Museum (closed on October 31, 2022), and exhibits materials that provide visitors with information on the more than 100 years of history of Yebisu beer.

Yebisu Beer was born in 1890. The brewery was located where Yebisu Garden Place stands today. Aiming to produce authentic German beer, all brewing equipment was made in Germany, and brewing engineers were invited from Germany too.

The company was ready to launch Yebisu Beer, but sales did not increase due to the recession, and the company’s business performance only worsened. The man who broke out of this situation was Mr. Kyohei MAGOSHI, later was called the “King of Beer”.

After becoming the president of Dai Nippon Beer (Dai-Nippon Brewery), Mr. Magoshi rebuilt the company in just one year by boldly cutting costs, and grew Yebisu Beer into one of Tokyo’s leading brands.

Brewery Area <present>

The “Brewery Area,” which is also the name of the entire facility, is an area where visitors can learn about the current status of Yebisu beer. The brewery uses German-made brewing equipment to produce special Yebisu that can only be enjoyed here in real time.

It was in 1988 that the brewery, which had been producing beer here since the birth of Ebisu Beer, stopped production. This means that it has been 35 years since beer has been brewed here. One of the brewing processes, “preparation,” is said to be taking place here to make wort. The wort is later transported underground, where it undergoes fermentation, storage, and filtration to become delicious beer.

The “Brewer’s Room” is a private room for Mr. Ryota ARITOMO, who is in charge of developing the flavors for all of the Yebisu brands and is the Chief Experience Brewer. The room is furnished with Mr. Aritomo’s personal belongings as well as assets from the former Yebisu factory, making it easier to imagine the brewer in the room. If you are lucky, you can even talk with Mr. Aritomo here.

Taproom Area (Paid Tasting Corner) <Future>

Here you can actually taste a wide variety of beers, including “Yebisu ∞ (Infinity)” and “Yebisu ∞ Black,” which are limited to this facility, as well as the beers for limited-time and limited-quantity Yebisu.

“Yebisu ∞ (Infinity)” expresses the infinite possibilities hidden in beer, and the yeast is made from the same yeast that was used more than 35 years ago at the former Ebisu factory.

There are 110 seats, including standing, and payment is by cashless payment only. The seating is arranged in a variety of layouts so that you can find an area that is comfortable for you, whether you are alone or in a group.

Logo stamps of the beers currently offered are also placed near the “Brewer’s Room”. Stamp it on the back of a coaster or in “MY BEER BOOK” sold in the gift store…these are items that will attract the collection desires of beer lovers.

“YEBIS BREWERY TOKYO” allows visitors to experience the world of Yebisu from a variety of time frames: past, present, and future. It was a facility that I would like to visit again to enjoy a freshly brewed beer on a whim.