Beer Cellar Sapporo : The Bottom Line
Beer Cellar Sapporo is a welcome addition and offers up something for everyone – some beers to drink in-store on tap, some beers to take away from the fridges, and a very chilled out atmosphere for all. The whole place is non-smoking, has no table charge, and also some free wifi, but make sure you eat before going here, or have somewhere planned after, as Beer Cellar Sapporo was lacking in food options when I went. You can get food delivered in though if you want!
Beer Cellar Sapporo : The Full Story
Beer Cellar Sapporo has two locations in Sapporo – this branch, being the original, and another branch in the Daimaru department store at Sapporo station; however, I was unable to find that one. It’s a sprawling mess of a station, reminiscent of Shinjuku and I gave up pretty quickly too as I wasn’t in the drunken mood to find a bar.
Beer Cellar Sapporo is located in Sapporo, just outside of Nishi-Juitchome station on the Tozai line out of Sapporo Station. It’s less than a couple of minutes walk from the station and is on the south side of Odori Park. It opened in December 2014 and its main aim is selling beers from Oregon but also some domestic beers too from breweries that the owners like.
Beer Cellar Sapporo : Atmosphere & Interior
Beer Cellar Sapporo is a very relaxed bar – let’s get that out of the way. Noone was in any rush to serve – not a bad thing – and the staff were talking with each other and customers about the various beers in the fridge and on the menu. The bar is quite a big space too – I was very surprised with how much empty space there was as most bars in Sapporo seemed to have as many tables as they could get in there. There also appeared to be a small camping section at the right-hand side of the store, with a set up of camping benches, stools, and other paraphernalia but it was busy.
There is space for around 40 people, with about 20 seats and the rest being standing bars or tables dotted around the shop. I guess that was why there was so much empty space and that seems right with Beer Cellar Sapporo – it’s probably not really a bar for sitting and drinking in for a long time, but somewhere you can pop in for one or two beers and then go back out. The whole place is non-smoking, has no table charge, and also has free wifi.
Beer Cellar Sapporo : Approach to Covid-19
Like other places in Sapporo, Beer Cellar Sapporo took a pretty strong approach, following the prefectural guidelines of social distancing, mask wearing, alcohol sprays, and temperature checks. There was the hotline poster on the side of the walls too for those who wish to check in.
Beer Cellar Sapporo : Beer & Tap Information
On the day I went to Beer Cellar Sapporo, there were 7 taps of beer on, though the staff did mention that due to Covid, they have had to scale back somewhat; however, they can have up to 12 taps during busier times of the year. Beer Cellar Sapporo is primarily focussed on Oregon beers, but there are often numerous domestic taps on throughout the year, with local breweries participating, alongside some collaboration beers too. The beers come in two sizes: glass (250 ml) at 660 yen and US pint (470 ml) for 1050 yen with all the prices including tax. There is also an option for a four beer tasting set which gets you four 120 ml glasses for 1,210 – a good option there. Of course, you also have the beer fridges as another option and the prices do not go up if you buy them in store – result! You can also get growler fills, though I did not notice any prices for them.
Beer Cellar Sapporo : Food Information
The food options are pretty spartan at Beer Cellar Sapporo – though you can get some food delivered in from some of the local delivery companies.
Beer Cellar Sapporo : Information
- Open : Weekdays 15:00 – 21:00 (L.O 20:30) Weekends 12:00 – 21:00 (L.O 20:30)
- Closed : N/A
- Happy Hour : N/A
- Phone : 011-211-8564
- Homepage (in Japanese) : http://beer-cellar-sapporo.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram / Twitter