Craft Pub Brian Brew : The Bottom Line
It may take some time to get into Craft Pub Brian Brew – we had to wait about 15 minutes – but after having some beers and fish n chips at the place, I can understand why people were reticient to leave. It’s a friendly little place, with all walks of life at the bar mingling with one another. In spite of being covered by a mere plastic sheet, Craft Pub Brian Brew is also pretty warm inside. The whole place is non-smoking and has no table charge, while there is also some free wifi in the area too.
Craft Pub Brian Brew : Background
Craft Pub Brian Brew seems to be part of a chain of Irish themed bars in the Sapporo area, with this branch being the fourth in the chain, though also the first to offer up craft beer in their pub. This branch is located in the Comichi building, in the Tanukikoji shopping street, that runs through the heart of Sapporo. It’s about a five minute walk from Odori station on the Sapporo Tozai line.
Craft Pub Brian Brew : Atmosphere & Interior
Craft Pub Brian Brew is a pretty small place, with space for around six people at the counter, and then another six people, perhaps more if you don’t mind being close together, at the tables at the front of the store. In spite of a mere plastic sheet protecting those at the bar from the cold winds that blow through, it’s a pretty warm and cosy place inside. The whole place is non-smoking and has no table charge. For those wondering, there is some free wifi to use, but I suspect that it was from the owner of the building.
When we went to the bar, there were a few different groups of people – some businessmen with pretty good English were at the front, with some young people in their 20s at the counter, and then a group of tourists at the end of the counter. Everyone was friendly – both the staff and customers – and were pretty eager to give us their seats after we had been waiting for around 15 minutes to get in. That’s perhaps the main issue with this place – as it’s so popular, you might not be able to get a seat, and that was just around an hour after opening.
Craft Pub Brian Brew : Beer & Tap Information
There are six taps of craft beer at Craft Pub Brian Brew, and a couple of macro lagers as well, so you can come here with your non-craft beer drinking friends. Three of the taps are dedicates to Yotei Brewing, a local brewery in Hokkaido, and then there are three “guest” taps, though with them leaning towards local Hokkaido beers. The beers come in thress sizes : small (300 ml) from ¥850, medium (380 ml) from ¥1,080, and large (480 ml) from ¥1,300, with the guest beers being slightly pricier.
There are also two beer flights on offer : a three 150 ml flight and a five 150 ml flight. And here’s where it gets confusing. The basic three beer flight is ¥1,400, but for every guest beer you have that flight, it’s an extra ¥150 or ¥200 depending on which flight you get. There’s no all you can drink plan, nor any option for takeaway beers.
Craft Pub Brian Brew : Food & Menu Information
The menu at Craft Pub Brian Brew is Western leaning, but just go for the fish and chips, unless you’re vegetarian of course. The fish was chunky and flakey, with the potatoes coming a variety of colours, and being roasted, so with some nice craggly edges. The menus are mostly in Japanese, with just the names of the dishes in English; however, there’s not much on the menu for vegetarians. Finally, all the prices include tax.
Craft Pub Brian Brew : Bar Details
- Open : Weekdays 12:00 – 15:00 (L.O 14:30) 17:00 – 23:00 (L.O 22:30) Saturdays 12:00 – 23:00 (L.O 22:30) Sundays & Holidays 12:00 – 21:00 (20:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 080-4431-8022
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://www.brian-brew.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
