For Kenjiro Tomita, having a pint means more than simply raising a glass. The brewmaster at Triple 7 Restaurant & Brewery in Main Street Station has it down to a science.
As brewmaster, Tomita oversees production of all the beer. If you catch him on his rounds of the copper tanks lining the brewpub, he can fill you in on what makes your beverage taste the way it does, and why brewing is so popular. “Beer is so much more than a light lager. Beer has a wide range of flavors and aromas. One of the big ingredients right now are hops; you can use hops without it being a hoppy beer,” he said.
Tomita developed a real appreciation for the art of brewing while working for craft brewer Cigar City in Tampa, Fla. He decided to go further in the field and was accepted into the prestigious Master Brewers Program at UC Davis (he was on the waiting list for three years).
There, he studied all manner of subjects related to brewing with lectures that encompassed chemistry, biology and engineering, and interned at Deschutes Brewery and Hangar 24 Craft Brewery. After completing the program, he put out feelers for a new position, but there was no need. Boyd Gaming’s Triple 7 had just reached out to UC Davis to find a brewmaster.
Strawberry Sour Ale
Tomita’s work at Main Street Station has garnered new awards for the brewpub, and he’s been featured on the show Brew Dogs. While that exposure helps bring in the beer traveler, it’s the beer that brings them back.
Strawberry Sour Ale
The latest specialty brew at Main Street Station, the Strawberry Sour Ale features organic strawberry purée from Oregon and Sorachi Ace hops that lend a lemony flavor to the beer. Main Street offers eight beers on tap, including High Roller Gold (a gold ale), the Blackchip Porter, the Royal Red Lager and the Brewmaster Special, which rotates into the lineup on a monthly basis. Enjoy by the pint or in a gorgeous large flight with five 5-ounce samples.
