The Food File does not often leave Tokyo. Why should we, when there's so much great eating to be had within the sprawling confines of this massive city? But when it comes to good drinking, that's a different story altogether. We will gladly go the extra mile (or 70) if there's a pint or two of fine ale to be found at the end of the trail.

Which is why, the other day, we found ourselves chugging down the coast by train to Numazu, a quiet city on the edge of Suruga Bay at the very top of the Izu Peninsula. Now, 100 km may seem like quite a long way to go to an obscure neck of the woods just to sink some suds. But this was not any old beer. Numazu is home to one of the finest microbreweries in the country.

Bryan Baird's eponymous brewery has been up and running for more than four years now, and the fruits of his labor are starting to gain a following well beyond the borders of Shizuoka Prefecture. But the only place where you can sample the entire range of his output is at the Fishmarket Taphouse, the simple, friendly pub he runs overlooking Numazu's bustling little fishing port and ferry terminal.