Brimmer Beer Box

(4.5÷5 stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁷³⁄₁₀₀
Located a short walk down Aoyama Dori heading away from Omotesando station towards Aoyama, you’ll find Brimmer on the east (right) side of the street shortly after passing Commons 246. Brimmer is among a small complex of shops that include Brimmer (craft beers), karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and Magical Animal (craft meats).
Brimmer will usually have a good showing of foreigners filling the joint; fortunately, there are stools outside along the walkway, as well as tables upstairs on the open rooftop. It’s a simple, straight-​forward shop and there are two big draws: ALL varieties of craft beer on tap are only ¥500/​glass (decently sized too, not a puny 200 ml cup), and the craft beeers are all brewed locally (meaning in Japan and fresh).
Highlights:
+ Beers: ⁵⁄₅ stars (usually four brews on tap, plus a couple bottled varieties)
+ Service: ⁴⁄₅ (straight-​forward, no frills; depends on who’s manning the taps on a given day, but generally not your «Barnacle Bill» type of rough characters, instead, they’re young, friendly foreigners)
+ Atmosphere: 3~5/5 (depends on who’s there and how much they have already consumed before your arrival)
+ Ambiance: ⁴⁄₅ (seating is limited and it feels cozy after two couples have already staked out their claim to seating. Don’t forget seating outside and upstairs!)
+ Value: ⁵⁄₅ (at ¥500/​glass in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Tokyo, it’s a super deal; plus, the quality of craft beers is excellent)
This place is the modern version of your quick drink and enjoy your suds and company place, as opposed to camp out and stumble home blind drunk type of tavern or pub in the days of old. Staff and patrons alike are usually pretty friendly — mostly foreigners who tend to drink a lot and sometimes get «a bit» noisy in their passionate discussions. Not to worry, you can sneak outside if you prefer to contemplate the zen of craft beer in peace.
Note: Smoking is also outside in the passageway, so if the weather is nice, do hit the open rooftop. You can literally chill up there, and if you’re with a date, at least you can hear each other there.
Note 2: Real estate development demands that the business in its currently location be shut down and move elsewhere as of the end of June 2015. No word yet on where they’ll reopen but you can bet that the Unilocal spot will be updated as soon as the suds start flowing again. Watch this space!

One of the highlights from our last trip to Japan was the incredible growth in craft beer culture. We were delighted to find Brimmer Beer Box, which is a pop-​up business in a bonafide storage unit right outside the Ometsando station.
We came here one rainy July evening when 99% of the city was watching Hanabi (fireworks). We came in here from the rain and were pleasantly welcomed by a mix of ex-​pats, and western-​interested Japanese youth. The bartender was Canadian/​Japanese and it was one of the few spots on our trip where we were able to converse with people around us. After a week or so of not being able to communicate to anyone, it’s nice to speak English with fellow English speakers on a trip and compare experiences.
Hands down the best thing about Brimmer is the price. A draft of one of their four beers (Pale, Porter, Golden, and Special) will run you 500 yen, or just under $ 5. That’s a deal even in the US, but in Japan that’s pretty much unheard of. It’s worth noting that the draft pours are not a pint, or at least they weren’t when we came, and were closer to 12 oz, which is still unbelievably cheap. This beer is nothing incredible; it’s very Western in style, which makes sense since I believe the owners spent a fair amount of time in the US/​Canada, and the beer is all very straightforward and nothing is too challenging. When we visited they did not have food, but it appears they now have food and television, as well as «yard» style glasses and pitchers, if you want larger serving sizes.
Most transactions in Japan are done through cash; this is such a small location I would not try using a card here. Although this is a bit hard to find, this is definitely a place worth finding that we will likely return to in the future. It’s tiny, cozy, weird, fun, and all things I enjoy about Japan.