Craft Beer Kan The Bottom Line
If you’re ever in Niigata and looking for a cheap place to find lots of craft beer, then Craft Beer Kan comes whole heartedly recommended – just make sure you are not hungry and don’t need the toilet. The sheer selection of well-served and maintained beers means you can easily while away the hours here without trying something else. The owner, Kohashi-san, also speaks very good English so if you can’t read the menus, then he’ll kindly explain to you about the beer. The prices are very reasonable for the location and as tax is included and no table charge, then there are no surprises at the end of the night – besides trying to find the toilets.
Standing room only really though there are some seats.
Craft Beer Kan – The Review
Even though Niigata is home to Japan’s oldest craft beer brewery – Niigata Beer – the last time I came to Niigata, there was massive dearth of bars to drink in. Craft Beer Kan opened in August 2015 and since then, has proven to be a popular place for drinkers and businessman alike, popping in for a quick beer before getting on the bus back home.
Craft Beer Kan is located right at the south exit of Niigata station, less than a minutes walk away from the station. It’s primarily a standing bar though there are some benches located by the windows, so there isn’t any table charge. Moreover, due to its location, the whole bar and surrounding area is non-smoking, so even if you do have to stand outside, you don’t have to worry about smoking. Though the biting cold and snow in the winter could be a much worse problem.
There are 40 taps of craft beer at Craft Beer Kan, with the majority of them being domestic craft beer from the local area, and some from overseas. Beers come in two sizes: half US pint (240ml) at ¥500 for domestic beers and ¥700 for imported, and US pint (473ml) at ¥900 for domestic beers and from ¥1,300 for imported beers. Pricey for imported beers, but we’re here for the domestic stuff. Beers can also be bought to takeaway if you’re in a rush. Moreover, there is also a special deal where you can buy 11 tickets of domestic craft beer for either ¥5,000 for half US pints, or ¥9,000 for US pints, thus saving you some money. On top of this, all the prices include tax as well.
Food Wise – well, I didn’t see anything on the vending machine that was being served and no one seemed to be eating anything so I guess there wasn’t anything to eat. Make sure you line your stomach before you go, but then you’re in one of the best areas of Japan for food, so you have plenty of choice around you.
Craft Beer Kan Details
Open: Daily 12:00～23:00
Happy hour: None.
Phone: 025-278-7622
SNS: Facebook
How to Get to Craft Beer Kan
The closest station to Craft Beer Kan is Niigata station on the Hakushin Line, Echigo Line, and Shinetsu Main Line. Take the south exit and the bar is just in front of the bus stops on the ground floor / first floor.
