Metro Land > Tokyo Session IPA

We began developing our Metro Land series of Session IPA’s during the first Covid lockdown of 2020. With the UK Government ordering people to stay at home, we found ourselves dreaming of the exotic and exciting places we used to freely travel to.

In an attempt to satisfy our restricted wanderlust, we decided to explore the flavours of different cities through hops and grains. In this blog, you will find out where our dreams of Tokyo took us.

Metro Land Tokyo is a refreshing 4.0% Session IPA with low hop bitterness, floral aromas and flavours of pineapple and green tea. Flaked torrefied rice is used in the mash bill to create a beer that is light in body with a crisp finish.

Our brewers use Azacca hops to achieve juicy, tropical fruit flavours in the beer. The Azacca hop has a Japanese heritage. It is a descendant of the Toyomidori hop variety, which was developed in Japan by Kirin brewery in 1981.  

The Azacca is paired with the bitter Summit hop, which we unconventionally use in the whirlpool. This helps to create the clean and earthy flavours of green tea in Metro Land Tokyo.

Although Metro Land Tokyo is a Session IPA, it’s light straw colour and clean, crisp flavour profile makes it comparable to a lager. It is a hugely versatile beer - especially when it comes to matching with food.

The rice used in the mash bill helps Metro Land Tokyo become the perfect accompaniment to sushi, tempura and grilled meat dishes. While the hoppy, tropical fruit flavours coming from the Azacca make this an attractive drink option when enjoying spicy ramen or salty, savoury teriyaki dishes.

Tokyo is famous for its vibrant nightlife and has thousands of incredible pubs and bars to visit. Beer was introduced to Japan in the 17th Century and is now the most popular alcoholic drink in the country.

If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, it won’t be long before you visit a traditional ‘izakaya’ bar and are offered a drinks menu of refreshing Japanese lagers.

Omoide Yokocho is one of the most famous izakaya-strips in Tokyo, and can be found right by Shinjuku Station. In this meandering warren of alleyways you can sit on small stools in packed bars and enjoy delicious yakitori with cool, crisp beers.

If you’re looking for flavourful IPA’s - never fear! Tokyo has a thriving craft beer culture with loads of independent bars and small craft breweries that offer a range of interesting options.

Some of our favourite destinations include Popeye in Ryogoku (with 70 beers on tap!), Goodbeer Faucets in Shibuya (¥200 off all beers, Mon-Thurs before 8pm) - and you can’t miss Yona Yona Beer Works in Akasaka where you can enjoy freshly brewed beers alongside a hearty menu of sausages served in a causal izakaya style.

Now that the lockdowns in the UK have well and truly finished, you can find Metro Land Tokyo Session IPA in brilliant Japanese restaurants here at home.

YO! Sushi were one of the first restaurant groups to list the beer, and it is still available to be ordered with their menu of fresh, flavoursome and authentic Japanese food. 

In 2022, we were added to the drinks menu at Bone Daddies. Bone Daddies are famous for their Rock and Roll ethos and regular remixing of classic ramen recipes with a distinctively modern twist. We think Metro Land Tokyo is the perfect beer to be had with their spicy ramen (we recommend having it with their Yuzu Tonkotsu).

We love the artwork on the Metro Land Tokyo can. Two Tribes Head of Creative Leo Zero has used his identifiable collage style on a lustrous silver background which references the futuristic, gleaming towers that fill the Tokyo skyline.

Koi fish, a geisha, Mount Fuji, Godzilla, neon signs and a maneki-neko cat figurine make up the curiosities on the collage - giving drinkers visual prompts to chat with their friends as they enjoy the beer.

You can buy Metro Land Tokyo to enjoy at home from our webstore.