Highbury –Cave of Beer–

Highbury is one of Yokohama’s more notable bars in recent memory. It serves high-quality lagers, Belgian beer, and… cask ales. What’s that? To keep it simple, they’re unfiltered ales that undergo further fermentation in a cask. They’re then served after a special period of “breathing” for a day or two in that cask. To learn more and/or try it (as you must), plan a visit. There’s much more to like, from the cozy interior to its friendly owner, Kohei Ando.

Ando learned the pleasures and art of cask ales during an impressionable stay in the UK. Of note, he spent about seven months interning at Thornbridge Brewery before returning to Japan in 2013 to work in the beer industry. He later opened his first Highbury in Tokyo. Following that success, he opened this branch in Yokohama.

There are typically eight taps connected. Two are for lagers: Sapporo Black Label and either Ebisu or sometimes Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic). Two or three taps serve beer from Thornbridge. Another serves Hoegaarden White, and yet another, a domestic craft beer recommended by staff. Finally, there’s that cask ale. There are a range of glass sizes and prices. Expect to pay from ¥800 for half-size pours to ¥1500 for full pints. The Belgian beer is all bottled, all world-class, and much pricier. 

There are reasonably priced small plates of pub fare (well under ¥1000) from charcuterie to simple things like roasted mashed potatoes or smoked items. Seating at the bar or small tables is casual and intimate–you’ll feel right at home. Or at least a home from the past; Ando picked up the decor from antique stores in the UK. 

“I want to serve beer like it was in the past,” says Ando, “so that we preserve that culture and can still drink real beer a hundred years from now.” A worthy mission!