Groundtap Brewery Taproom : The Bottom Line
Groundtap Brewery Taproom is a welcome addition to an area lacking in options with plenty of beers on tap though lacking in food. Go on a nice sunny day, sit outside, and drink away the afternoon – just make sure you don’t fall asleep on the train back else you might make the same mistake I did! Moreover, there’s no food outside of snacks here, though you can bring your own to eat. The whole place is non-smoking and because it’s primarily a standing bar, there’s no table charge either.
Groundtap Brewery Taproom : Background
Groundtap Brewery Taproom is the taproom for Groundtap Brewery, located right next to the brewery in Saijo, Ehime. It’s the first brewpub in the area, with nothing else really for craft beer in the Saijo city limits. Along with the brewery, it opened in November 2023, and saw its second anniversary on the day we went to the bar.
It’s about a ten minute walk from Iyo-Saijo station; the main station of the city of Saijō and a major terminal on the Yosan Line. Just be careful though as trains are infrequent so you may need to plan your visit – leave too early and you have a long wait at the station ahead of you; leave too late, and you can miss the train back.
Groundtap Brewery Taproom : Atmosphere & Interior
Groundtap Brewery Taproom is primarily a standing bar, with space for around 10 people inside, though there is a bench and table outside to sit at – just get there early on a sunny day as people will be sitting there before you. Set in an residential area, there’s a small hubbub from local residents going around their daily business. I like people watching as much as the next person, but this felt a bit weird, being able to see inside people’s houses. With this being a standing bar, there’s no table charge at all.
Groundtap Brewery Taproom : Beer & Tap Information
As this is the taproom for Groundtap Brewery, all eight taps of beer are from them, but there is a large variety of styles on the menu, so you’re bound to find something that you like to drink. The beers come in two sizes : half (220 ml) from ¥500, and large (400 ml) from ¥900. There’s also a pint option though you do have to ask for it, and the price increase varies from ¥200 to ¥300 depending on the beer. Also, because they do seasonal or limited brews, you can try different styles depending on when you go.
Unfortunately, there’s no beer flights on offer here, which kind of make sense as there’s barely any space to the bar as it is – plus there’s no happy hour option either.
Groundtap Brewery Taproom : Food & Menu Information
Besides some snacks at the counter, there’s nothing else to really eat here. The menus are all in English though and you can just use some basic numbers to order a beer so there’s no need for you to come with a Japanese speaker – though you can if you want to. Finally, all of the prices include tax so there’s no surprises at the end.
Groundtap Brewery Taproom : Bar Details
- Open : Monday & Friday 17:00 – 20:00 Saturday 13:00 – 20:00 (L.O 19:30) Sundays & Holidays 13:00 – 19:00 (L.O 18:30)
- Closed : Tuesday to Thursday
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone :0897-64-9056
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://groundtap-brewery.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
