Tokyo’s booming craft brewery scene has another new member, this time in a quiet residential neighbourhood in Nippori. Run by the company behind Shinbashi Italian wine bar Viva Okei and Pizzeria Terzo Okei, Okei Brewery is right next to Nippori Fabric Town, a one-kilometer stretch of street with around 80 or so textile shops.
It’s a new venture for the brand – so new, in fact, that the brewery’s first batch of beer isn’t even on sale yet. It’s expected to start pouring sometime in January 2022. The brewery plans to make a pale ale and a hazy IPA, but is finding its feet first with more standard styles of beer.
Until the first batch is ready, you’ll find a rotating selection of ten different beers from other breweries around Japan on tap each day. All the beers are served in special glasses sporting the brewery’s black sunglasses logo. The logo is already starting to catch on with fans and Okei even sells branded pairs of sunglasses, which you might just see people wearing around the bar.
The kitchen is already in full swing, serving a mixture of izakaya and pub-style dishes that pair well with beer, including fish and chips, smoked potato salad, grilled edamame, charcuterie and much more.