Spirit Cruises January 2023 Leaderboard

Zama: A Japanese Craft Beer Destination

From pale ales to IPAs, there's much more to Japanese brew than Sapporo
by Drew Lazor on Aug 27, 2012 in Beer

For many California Roll-chomping Americans, Japanese beer begins with Kirin and ends with Sapporo, with perhaps a little street-creddy Hitachino tossed in for good measure. But the reality is that the country whose belly-to-bar habits are most readily associated with glossy sake is populated by millions of beer lovers. A 2006 Wands Review study revealed that nearly half the alcohol consumed by Japanese citizens was beer, followed by shochu, with sake a distant bronze medalist.

This nationalized love of the fizzy stuff, combined with a mid-‘90s shift in federal tax guidelines that encouraged non-macro beer businesses to flourish, has led to a renaissance of small-scale producers. Most of these brands are difficult to locate stateside, but Rittenhouse Square’s Zama has taken measures to build its beverage program to reflect a respect for Japanese kurafuto bia, or craft beer.

The three-year-old sushi destination, named after chef/proprietor Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, has long had a reputation as a strong sake bar, but Rising Sun beers became an additional focus more than a year ago. “Our guests wanted something different,” says general manager Bryon Phillips, the restaurant’s point person for beer and booze. “If Zama had what everyone else had, it wouldn’t be special.” His Japanese craft-beer stock represents a tiny sliver of what’s being drunk in Japan  — hundreds of upstart breweries have come onto the scene in the last decade — but it’s a singular entry point for Philly.

The conversation begins with Coedo, which produces five distinct styles, each recipe developed by a different international brewmaster hand-picked by the owner ahead of the company’s inception. Zama carries three. On the lighter end of the spectrum, Kyara, a smooth 5.5% ABV pale ale with a subtle-but-lively hop, is complemented by Shiro, an unfiltered Belgian-inspired wheat that’s got a fruity personality thanks to the inclusion of banana yeast. The most interesting Coedo in stock is the Beniaka, made with the Kintoki sweet potatoes indigenous to the brewery’s home base in Saitama Prefecture. Roundly starchy, with full, yammy characteristics both on the nose and in the finish, the 7% ABV lager pours a coppery color true to its name, which translates to “crimson red.”

Zama also carries multiple beers from Echigo, considered an early and influential force in the craft-beer sphere (think Sierra Nevada or Brooklyn Brewery here). Chef Tanaka’s personal favorite is the large-format Koshihikari, a Czech-like pilsner named after the super-premium rice strain used to make it; its crisp personality makes it a logical choice for the sushi bar’s sashimi and nigiri (“You think sushi, you think beer,” says Phillips). Echigo’s amber-hued red ale pours very clean, with a smoother-than-anticipated bite, while the brewery’s stout shouts coffee and chocolate, without being clingy or soupy like many European beers of its ilk.

Many of these beers, higher, import-influenced price points notwithstanding, are sessionable, but Zama’s bar also stocks more potent picks. Ishikawa Brewery, founded in 1998, practices traditional bottle conditioning for its Tama no Megumi, a dangerously easy-drinking pale brewed with pure water drawn from a well the brewery dug on its own land. Then there’s Japan’s first IPA, Ozeno Yukidoke, a top seller at Zama that takes a refreshing approach to hopping, eschewing the big, brash bitter notes common in West Coast IPAs in favor of a more balanced final product. Phillips says the quiet nature of the ale is reflective of the Japanese kitchen’s reverence for clean, measured movements. “If you over-hopped it, it wouldn’t be any good with the food,” he says.

Orion, an enormous name when compared to the aforementioned little dudes, also has real estate in Zama’s cold case, but Phillips made an effort to distinguish its inclusion on his beer list. The brewery’s Premium Draft Beer (a funny title, since it comes in bottles) is a macro similar to Kirin or Sapporo. “We drank it, and it needed something,” says Phillips. That something: a tiny touch of the yuzu juice used in a few house cocktails, producing a fruit-up-front sipper not so different from a citrus-wedged hefeweizen or a Berliner weisse drizzled with flavored syrup. Seems it doesn’t even have to be kurafuto bia to be, as Phillips puts it, “uniquely Zama.”

Photos by Drew Lazor

Recent Articles
spacer

Feedback

How are we doing? Tell us what you like or don't like and how we can improve. We would love to hear your thoughts!

*Name:
*E-mail:
*Suggestions:
 
Rittenhouse Goes Car-Free Every Sunday in September: Here are the Best Bars to Hit

Rittenhouse Goes Car-Free Every Sunday in September: Here are the Best Bars to Hit

Center City District will close the streets allowing pedestrians to enjoy outdoor seating, music, and activiti...read more ›

by Michelle Cryder Sep 6, 2024
Best Cocktail Bars at the Jersey Shore

Best Cocktail Bars at the Jersey Shore

We've rounded up all of the must-stop spots for sipping spirits by the beach, whether your vibe is dark and sexy or vibrant and divey....read more ›

by Drink Philly Aug 26, 2024
SPONSORED
Spirit Cruises January 2023 Desktop Bottom Rectangle 1
The Drink Nation Presents: The Home Bar Project

The Drink Nation Presents: The Home Bar Project

Have you ever dreamed of having an amazing home bar, filled with bottles you actually use and the tools you need to execute a fine crafted cocktail? E...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Nov 14, 2014
Behind the Bar: Jillian Moore of My Loup

Behind the Bar: Jillian Moore of My Loup

This time on Behind the Bar, we interview bartender and bar manager Jillian Moore of My Loup. We chat with her about her cocktail menu, the effects of...read more ›

by Drink Philly May 13, 2024
Oltremare: Inside Look at their Amalfi Coast Inspired Cocktails

Oltremare: Inside Look at their Amalfi Coast Inspired Cocktails

Oltremare is the newest endeavor by Chef Townsend Wentz, located at 2121 Walnut Street, near Rittenhouse Square...read more ›

by Drink Philly Apr 22, 2024
Best Bars for Outdoor Drinking in Philadelphia, 2024

Best Bars for Outdoor Drinking in Philadelphia, 2024

We've got your definitive list of where to drink outside in Philadelphia...read more ›

by Drink Philly Apr 9, 2024
Philadelphia Distilling Launching Secret Pop-Up Cocktail Garden for Earth Day, April 11-21

Philadelphia Distilling Launching Secret Pop-Up Cocktail Garden for Earth Day, April 11-21

Philadelphia Distilling is transforming their fourth floor space into a secret garden to celebrate Earth Day, ...read more ›

by Drink Philly Apr 9, 2024
Dizengoff: Inside Look at the New Reimagined Restaurant, Bar, & Cocktails

Dizengoff: Inside Look at the New Reimagined Restaurant, Bar, & Cocktails

Last year, Dizengoff and Abe Fisher decided to join forces and embark on an exciting new chapter. After closin...read more ›

by Drink Philly Mar 5, 2024
Behind the Bar: Tom Foy of Butcher Bar

Behind the Bar: Tom Foy of Butcher Bar

In this installment of Behind the Bar, we sit down with bartender Tom Foy of Butcher Bar...read more ›

by Drink Philly Feb 19, 2024
SPONSORED
Drink Nation Home Bar Project Bottom Rectangle 2
View all Articles

Sign up to get weekly drinking news, bar reviews, events and more sent directly to your inbox!

Close