Inkhorn Brewing

Walk ten minutes from Mejiro Station and you’ll find this charming standing-only taproom with a street-facing open-air beer counter and lavish murals of exotic birds. But the nifty space doesn’t just serve delicious beers on tap – it brews them, too. Inkhorn is a family-run business headed by Shun Nakade, who was inspired by his time abroad in the United States to start his own brewery venture in the heart of Tokyo.

Inkhorn boasts a transparent brewing space visible through expansive windows and equipped with state-of-the-art tanks that produce around seven types of beer at a time. It takes roughly three weeks to brew each batch, with an additional five weeks of planning for new recipes, but Nakade takes pride in developing his menu to offer a mix of longtime favourites and new renditions for his fast-growing community of craft beer lovers. Recent additions include the ‘Urban Jungle’ double IPA, which has autumnal, citrusy notes and a hefty ABV of 8 percent. For extra hot days, the 5.3-percent ‘Vacation Mysteries’ is a no-brainer – deliciously tart and juicy, this passion fruit-infused brew is a thirst-quenching summer relief.