Ganesha Beer Garage

What is with that name? No part of that makes any sense to me. Anyway...this bar serves about 3-4 pages of Belgian beer, another 2 pages of German beer and a page or two of others. Everything is exquisite. It's not just the beer that's good there, the food is excellent too. It's pricey and the portions are smaller than I'd like for the value, but that's why today we ate a huge, late lunch just before going to the bar. That allowed us to really enjoy the drinks they serve which are such a treat if you've experienced the lack of variety available in typical Japanese bars.

I've gone back there several times and in doing so I've learned that Belgian beer really is what I'm looking for when I want a drink at a bar. I want to experience something new. I want to drink something with flavor and purpose. It ought to be like any other food or drink where the maker really cares about the product, where he really loves what he's making. I wouldn't pretend to have a lot of experience in describing exotic beers, but it's immediately apparent when tasting these that the people who make them are thinking about the product differently than how Asahi or Anheuser-Busch does. They care about flavor the way a chef does. And I think that says a lot considering the amount of time that goes into generating beer brewing know how.

If you're ever in Matsumoto, I couldn't recommend this place more. It's the best bar I've found there. The interior is mostly wood and dimly lit. There are never so many patrons that it gets cramped at all. There are stools and small tables both. They mostly play jazz and had a mix disc of Coltrane (John) on today. It's five minutes from the station, so you can relax right up until last train, pretty much. I've only ever seen a young man and woman working there and I'm inclined to believe they're a couple who co-own the place. They're very pleasant people who understand very well the drinks they serve. Ask them anything about the beer and they'll help you pick from their daunting selection. 

Here are a couple shots of the delicious treats we chose tonight, but really the whole menu is stunningly good.