Kochi Beer Lab : The Bottom Line
Kochi Beer Lab is definitely a must visit place when you’re in the area – though make sure you take plenty of cash with you, else you won’t be getting anything in here! There’s a decent number of taps here, and the owner takes his glass washing very seriously – just watch him while he does it! The whole place is a standing bar, so you could end up talking with some locals about craft beer, depending on when you go. There’s no table charge, and the whole place is non-smoking. Just make sure you eat before you go as there’s also no food!
Kochi Beer Lab : Background
Kochi Beer Lab is located in 55th Street of Kochi city – an area known for being a dense cluster of bars and restaurants, and tiny alleyways for you to get lost in. Like I did. Twice. The owner, 久松央虎 (Hisamatsu Ōtora), who is a craft beer enthusiast is also very meticuolous with how the beer is served, from the washing of the glasses, to the system setup with the correct carbonation, and how the beer is poured – hence the name Kochi Beer Laboratory. It opened in October 2019 and is around a 10 minute walk from Kochi station.
Kochi Beer Lab : Atmosphere & Interior
Entering into the bar, it really does feel like an experimental space – all white walls, impeccibly clean, and stainless steel around the place. It’s a standing bar with space for around 10 people inside, though its a tight fit in there for sure. I had arrived at just before 7 pm and got talking with some locals and the bar owner – a good start for sure. With this being a standing bar, there is of course no table charge, and there is also some free WiFi available to connect. It’s also non-smoking though to be fair, there isn’t enough space for a smoking section anyway.
Kochi Beer Lab : Beer & Tap Information
There are six taps of beer on at Kochi Beer Lab, with five of those being craft beer and one being Kirin Ichiban – so you can come here with your non-craft beer drinking friends as well. Their selection leans strongly toward from Shikoku/local breweries, though they may rotate styles weekly. Thee beers come in two sizes : small (320 ml) from ¥1,200 and large (420 ml) from ¥1,500 though for that price, you are getting a glass filled to the top! There’s no beer flight option nor any takeaway option.
However, there is a happy hour option – if the owner remembers! It had just started the previous week before I got to the bar, and the beers are ¥300 before 8 pm. The owner is trying to encourage more people to come out drinking before they go and eat. On the day I went, I was suddenly gifted back ¥600 and the owner profusely apologised as he had forgotten to give me the money earlier. As this place is cash only, it was the difference between a small beer and a large beer! We had a chuckle about it and the owner apologised again and again.
Kochi Beer Lab : Food & Menu Information
There is no food on at Kochi Beer Lab besides some small snacks, so make sure you do get something to eat before hand. The menu has enough English on it so you can order a beer – what more do you need? Finally, all of the prices include tax so you don’t need to factor that in later.
Kochi Beer Lab : Bar Details
- Open : Mopnday to Saturday 14:00 – 22:00 (L.O 21:30)
- Closed : Sundays though also sporadic holidays
- Happy Hour : Daily before 20:00 with ¥300 off a beer.
- Phone : –
- Homepage (in Japanese) : –
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
