“Bikkuri Tako-don” is a donburi with a deep-fried whole octopus!

Maybe you cannot stop laughing once you see it.
This is because there is a pretty big “whole” octopus is sitting on top of a bowl of rice.
This dish’s name is “Bikkuri Tako-don Set Meal” (a surprising bowl of rice topped with an octopus), and the price is 1,480 yen (excluding tax).

Now you can see how big the octopus really is.

It looks so dynamic, and it is eaten dynamically as well.
You must cut the octopus to pieces with scissors.
The octopus tastes really good, and you can feel its delicious taste the more you chew it.

“AKASHI BREWERY” inherits the culture of sake in Nishi-Nada area.

You can have this octopus dish at “EIGASHIMA SYUKAN.”
This is a composite facility run by “AKASHI BREWERY,” which has a restaurant, craft beer brewery, pub, and souvenir shop.

The history of sake brewing in Eigashima is long, and the town is called “Nishi-Nada” (West Nada) to distinguish it from “Nada,” the famous sake brewing area in Hyogo.
There were a lot of sake breweries in the town of Eigashima.
AKASHI BREWERY was opened to pass on the sake culture of “Nishi-Nada” in 1989.
Since then, this brewery became the representative craft beer brewery in Akashi, and its beer has won a prize in an international beer contest 3 years in a row.

Mr. Hashimoto, the chief of the brewery division, takes us on a tour of the brewery.
He is checking the hose on a brewing tank.

Beer is generally fermented in this tank for 20 to 30 days, but nobody can open the tank to see inside because of carbonic acid gas.
Therefore, the best way to check the fermentation is look at the bubbles.

“The yeast eats the sugar contained in wort, and it breaks down into alcohol and carbonic acid gas. Therefore, we have to watch the condition of fermentation by checking the amount of bubbles, the sugar content of beer, and the temperature inside the tank.”

Yes, I can see the fizzing bubbles inside of the hose.

Beer is actually a living thing.
The golden drops of beer will be born from careful nurturing by both nature and peoples’ hands.

“Most people think that the best season for drinking beer is in summer, I guess. But actually, the taste of beer is much better in winter,” Mr. Hashimoto told us this surprising fact.
“Normally, beer’s taste will be much better when there is more time allowed for the subsequent fermentation after the main fermentation. However, all breweries have to brew batches of beer one after another and cannot allow too much time for the fermentation. Therefore, as breweries have more time for the fermentation of beer in winter (as compared to the popular summer months), the taste of beer turns richer.”

I see.
I can agree with this and understand that the taste differs depending on the season, after realizing that beer is a living thing.

Taste the draft beer with a beautiful sunset and an appetizer.

Now, let’s taste some fresh draft beer, which has just been made!
Go up to the second floor of the brewery, and find the brewery pub called “café bar Eigashima Gyoko” (Eigashima Fishing Port).

You can enjoy a set of 4 short glasses (1,000 yen, excluding tax) of beer and taste the different flavors.
All flavors have clear tastes with good balance.
It is difficult to decide which one is the best!

When I looked outside of the window, the sunset tinged the sky and Setouchi Inland Sea with a maddening red.
Drinking beer with a nice sunset is a moment of happiness.

The unique labels are also fascinating.

Now that we’ve tasted the beer, let’s find some souvenirs.
The labels on the beer bottles of AKASHI BREWERY are unique and enjoyable.

It is pretty difficult but fun for you to pick one among the various unique labels of beers…, the best-selling beer “Akashi-no-Kimi,” “Himeji Beer” with the label of Himeji Castle, and “Akashi Tako Beer” with a cute octopus…

Other than beer, you can get Nishi-Nada sake, and Setouchi marine products here.
Maybe it is a good idea to find something to nibble on with the beer. It will make a good combination as a souvenir.

By Editorial Department of Setouchi Finder