OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWith Golden Week over, it means summer and hot, humid days are just around the corner. Knowing you’ll need a cooling and refreshing oasis to escape to in the months ahead, Mr. Sato headed over to the Mori Trust Garden in Toranomom District, Tokyo to scope out the offerings at Kirin’s Ichiban Garden.

Opened on April 24, Kirin’s Ichiban Garden provides seating for 150 indoors and another 250 on its open air terrace. With its signature Ichiban Shibori on tap (both lager and stout), frozen draft beer and two-tone beer cocktails, there’s sure to be something that’ll satisfy any beer-guzzler in need of quick relief as city temperatures continue to rise.

Here’s what Mr. Sato had to say:

If you are an aficionado of the amber liquid, sit back and envision this. Under a hot noonday sun, a frosted glass being filled to the rim with ice-cold beer. Surrounded by greenery and with a gentle breeze blowing, you gaze lovingly at the frothy top as a smile of happiness slowly spreads across your face. You raise the glass to your lips for that first thirst-quenching gulp and heavenly relief! An exceptional place is needed to experience such a special feeling and I’m pleased to tell you that a great new beer garden with the perfect environment for enjoying a glass of frosty ale has just opened in Toranomon in the center of Tokyo.

Openness in the heart of the city
The beer garden is located in the Mori Trust Garden, a short walk away from Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Line. Though you’re surrounded by skyscrapers, the garden has an open air atmosphere and an expansive lawn, perfect for lazing around on a hot sunny day.

A great food menu worthy of a brewer
The unique food menu offers a rich variety of dishes which cannot be eaten elsewhere including edamame beans boiled in stout, white fish lightly fried in Ichiban Shibori batter, and a stout-based pork stew.

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▼ White fish lightly fried in Ichiban Shibori batter
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▼ Black pepper corned beef and rice flour baguette

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▼ Happy Mr. Sato and his meat (domestically produced sirloin steak cooked on a lava rock grill)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Frozen draft beer is delicious!
The feature drink is frozen draft beer. The ice-like foam floating on top keeps the beer chilled; there is something especially delicious about really cold beer. Drinking it on a hot day is sure to provide relief from the heat! Frozen draft is truly special.

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▼  The stout is great!
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▼  And so is the lager!
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Two-tone beer cocktails
Using Kirin’s proprietary “two-tone maker” provides another way to enjoy the great taste of beer. The two-tone maker is a spout used for pouring beer into a glass containing liqueur that allows you to create layered beer cocktails of two different colors. Twelve different liqueur flavors are available and one is sure to match your mood on any given day.
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At any rate, this is a fantastic place for drinking beer. Ichiban Garden is probably enjoyed best on a warm, cloudless day that allows you to slowly savor the great taste of your beverage of choice while stretched out on the park’s lush green lawn.

Photos: RocketNews24
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