The secret of the good taste of “AWAJI BEER” is the sound of the sea!?

Craft beer is booming all over Japan these days.
There are various unique craft beers brewed on some of the islands in Setouchi.
And “AWAJI BEER,” brewed in Awaji-shima Island, won prizes at “the International Beer Cup 2018,” which is one of 5 world beer competitions.
“AWAJI BEER Pilsner” won the Gold medal, and “AWAJI BEER Alt” won the Bronze medal.

We visited “Awaji Brewery” right after we have heard the news.
When we stepped inside of the brewery, we noticed a mysterious sound there which was like rumbling and flowing water.
We imagined that maybe this was the sound which can be heard by a baby in the womb of its mother.

“Actually, we make our beer yeast listen to this, the sound of the sea around Awaji-shima,” Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, who is brewing the beer, told us.
They named this the “Island brewing method” as it is the way of brewing here.
The sound is BGM (background music) edited for beer yeast after having gathered the natural sounds of Awaji-shima.
They introduced this method in 2017 to make “a special beer particular to Awaji-shima.”
Could the good taste of AWAJI BEER be a result of this unique method?
AWAJI BEER won a beer contest prize in Asia that same year for the first time, so we cannot discount the effect of BGM.

Of course, the secret of the good taste is not only the “Island brewing method.”
AWAJI BEER is a handmade beer brewed carefully bottle by bottle under very delicate controls.
Once you taste it, you will discover its quality.
The pilsner which won the gold medal has flowery aroma with the harmonious tastes of bitter, sweet, and umami.

Some beer is brewed with rice and lemons from Awaji-shima.

There are 6 kinds of AWAJI BEER.
4 of these beers are classic and popular ones: Pilsner, Alt, Red Ale, and Weizen.
Moreover, there are 2 kinds of beer which use ingredients from Awaji-shima.
“Awaji Rice” is a pilsner brewed with Kinuhikari rice grown on the island.
When the rice harvest season comes, the beer is also brewed with fresh rice.
“Shima Lemon” (Island Lemon) is a weizen brewed with lemons from Awaji-shima, and its light and fruity flavor is popular even among people who don’t like beer very much.

“Pilsner is an all-around beer, but I would recommend that you drink it with fish. Alt or Red Ale are good with meat and nabe (hot pot dish). Weizen tastes good with delicate tasting dishes, such as French food and vegetables,” Matsumoto says.
“Awaji Rice and sushi make the best combination, and Shima Lemon would be a good as an aperitif.”
I cannot wait to try all of them and compare each taste!

Taste the draft beer at the restaurant “Pont et mer” with a great view.

You can mainly have AWAJI BEER at restaurants on Awaji-shima Island and in the Kinki area (especially Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo).
But we would like to recommend a restaurant managed by Awaji Brewery at the “Awaji Highway Oasis.”

The restaurant, “Pont et mer” serves genuine Italian food using seasonal ingredients from Awaji-shima Island.
One special menu item is the “Nomi-kurabe set” which allows you to try several kinds of AWAJI BEER.
The picture above is a sample image of the “Pont et mer Lunch” (2,800 yen), although the menu changes from season to season.

The restaurant has a great view of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge.

The scenery at night is so romantic, with the illumination of the bridge and the Ferris Wheel.
You can definitely have a great time with excellent craft beer, food, and the view, all made in Awaji-shima.

By Editorial Department of Setouchi Finder