“Kurashiki Ivy Square,” created by renovating a factory belonging to Kurashiki Spinning, is one of the popular tourist spots in Kurashiki City.
Various events are held at Courtyard Plaza, and it seems to be frequently visited not only by tourists but also by local residents.
During Golden Week, an event called “GOLDEN BEER FESTA” was held at Kurashiki Ivy Square.
I hadn’t felt like traveling far during the holiday, but the chance to drink local beers from eight breweries inside and outside the prefecture appealed to me, so I decided to go.
GOLDEN BEER FESTA was held under sunshine that made you want to drink beer. Here’s what the event was like.
The information presented was accurate when this article was published in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “GOLDEN BEER FESTA in Kurashiki Ivy Square”?
“GOLDEN BEER FESTA in Kurashiki Ivy Square” was held over two days, Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Eight breweries from inside and outside the prefecture set up booths at this event, where visitors could sample a variety of distinctive local beers, each brimming with the brewers’ dedication.
The breweries served only beer, but the selection included some varieties so sweet and easy to drink that they hardly seemed like beer, making them seem approachable even for people who don’t like beer. It also looked fun to find a brewery or beer that suited your taste.
There was also plenty of food, including fries, grilled skewers, and pizza—snacks that go well with beer. Soft drinks were also sold at the venue, and families with children were among the visitors.
I rarely get the chance to drink local beers from outside the prefecture, so I invited my mother, who likes beer, to join me at the event.
I attended the event
Saturday, May 4, when I attended, was clear and sunny—perfect weather for an event. It was just the kind of temperature that makes you want to drink beer.
When I went to Courtyard Plaza at Kurashiki Ivy Square, it was lively, with a comfortable-sized crowd.
First, I bought beer tickets at the reception tent.
There were two ticket options: one drink for 500 yen or 10 drinks for 4,000 yen, and the 4,000-yen ticket was apparently the better deal.
As my mother and I stood in front of the reception tent wondering, “Would 10 drinks be too many?” a staff member kindly told us, “It’s fine to split the 10-drink ticket between the two of you,” so we decided to buy the 4,000-yen ticket.
It was helpful that we could share the tickets, since that made it easier to adjust how much we drank.
The tickets were valid on both days of the event, so any unused tickets could still be used on the second day.
After purchasing them, we were given 10 stickers and a plastic cup.
The stickers served as beer vouchers: you handed one sticker and the cup to a vendor, who would pour you a beer.
Sampling distinctive local beers made with care
I immediately started walking around the venue to find my first beer.
I’d tried beers from breweries in Okayama Prefecture a few times, but most of the breweries from outside the prefecture were new to me. Each brewery had four to six varieties of local beer, making it hard to decide which one to try.
As I walked, someone called out, “Miss, have you ever tried beer from Tokushima?” and I stopped in my tracks. The person who called out was a staff member from Tokushima Beer Marche.
I heard they had brought a selection of carefully chosen local beers from Tokushima Prefecture especially for this event, so I ordered the one they recommended, “Aratae Ale.”
My first beer of the day was the memorable “Aratae Ale.” It is draft beer with live yeast, known for its rich flavor and depth. It was a precious, small-batch beer, but it was so delicious that I gulped it down.
The plastic cup also adds a nice touch, giving you that special feeling of drinking outdoors.
I’d planned to sit down and take my time, but ended up walking around as I drank, looking for my next beer.
Next, I was intrigued by Tokumanjiri Hinomoto Beer, which offered beers with unusual names. It had a booth from Kotoura Town, Tottori Prefecture.
They recommended a milk beer made with skim milk powder, but since it was hot, I ordered “Betrayal,” which seemed refreshing.
The cups were exchanged, so after finishing my drink, I handed over the cup and had the vendor pour me another.
“Betrayal” is a beer made with plenty of blueberries, and despite its name, it has a lovely deep pink color. One sip revealed that it was pleasantly mild in its beer-like qualities and very easy to drink, with a flavor like a sweet berry sour.
Its alcohol content is also relatively low at 3%, so I thought it would be easy for people who don’t like beer to give it a try.
The cups held 200 ml, which was a little small, so at first I thought, “I’d like a little more.” But this size might be just right for sampling a variety of beers.
Since my first and second beers were from breweries outside the prefecture, I decided to try a local beer next.
I stopped by Kibidote-shita Beer. It’s a brewery in Okayama City that makes beer with the hope that people will enjoy local beer as casually as they would visit a neighborhood tofu shop.
There were colorful beers on display, but the one that caught my eye most was “Seto’s Melancholy,” a light-blue beer.
When it was served, the plastic cup came back with a brewery sticker on it. You could sense the vendor’s playful spirit.
A light-blue beer, a color I’d rarely seen. Its beautiful hue, inspired by the color of the Seto Inland Sea, comes from a natural coloring made from a plant called gardenia. Despite its unusual color, it had no strong or unusual taste, and was refreshing, like a fruity cider. It’s the kind of beer you’d want to drink on a hot summer day.
Whether rare, sweet, or blue, these local beers were all distinctive in both appearance and flavor. As I carefully considered what to try next with my two remaining tickets, I decided to enjoy my next beer with some snacks.
Snacks that go well with drinks
There were several food stalls at the venue serving dishes that seemed like they’d go well with drinks, such as wood-fired pizza and grilled skewers.
The one that whetted my appetite most was a burger shop called Grateful’s, with the sound of meat sizzling and its savory aroma wafting through the air. Grateful’s apparently has locations in Shizuoka, Osaka, Okinawa, and elsewhere. This time, its Okayama Toiyacho location—the only one in the Chugoku region—had a booth.
The signature hamburgers are tempting too, but I ordered fish and chips, which looked easy to share, and freshly grilled herb sausages.
I set the piping-hot snacks I was handed down at my seat for a moment, then went to choose a beer.
As I looked for a beer that would go well with fried food and meat dishes, a refreshing-sounding beer called “Yuzu Weizen” caught my eye.
It was served by Good Wolf Beer, a small brewery in Higashiyoshino Village, Nara Prefecture. Higashiyoshino Village was the last place in Japan where a Japanese wolf was found, and apparently the name Good Wolf comes from that story.
As it turned out, the brewer was from Kurashiki. Smiling, they told me, “I came here this time because I want to bring delicious beer to my hometown!” After hearing that, I couldn’t not buy some.
The “Yuzu Weizen” I bought is made with juice from yuzu grown in Higashiyoshino Village, squeezed by hand. Bringing it close to my nose, I could smell a refreshing citrus aroma. I couldn’t resist and took a sip right there. Its refreshing crispness was irresistibly delicious.
I returned to my seat and raised a toast for what must have been the umpteenth time. I tucked into the snacks and local beer I’d just picked up.
Both the herb sausages and fish and chips were generous portions and really satisfying. Hot food tastes even better when eaten outdoors. They also paired perfectly with the refreshing Yuzu Weizen.
Since I had the chance, I decided to try another snack as well.
Drawn in by the words “made with Okayama-grown vegetables,” I ordered the Hawaiian-style Hawaiian nachos. I heard that the aromatic vegetables, such as green onions, were grown in Okayama Prefecture. I don’t usually eat Hawaiian food, so trying a snack like this, unique to the event, lifted my spirits.
Hawaiian nachos are a snack made with tortilla chips topped with avocado dip, salsa, tuna, and vegetables such as green onions and tomatoes. Their colorful appearance also evokes Hawaii.
At events, there aren’t many opportunities to eat vegetables, but these Hawaiian nachos were loaded with vegetables and made a great salad-like snack. The seasoning was just right, and they went down well with beer.
The snacks and beer left me feeling full, so I used my last ticket to order one final drink.
The last beer I ordered was “DARK IPA” from MilestoneBrewing Higashi-Kakogawa Brewery, which makes beer in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture.
I’ve always thought of dark beer as bitter, but “DARK IPA” wasn’t too bitter, and had a coffee-like roasted aroma and flavor. It was the first dark beer I’d found easy to drink, and I was glad to try a type of beer I wouldn’t normally order.
I also got an original sticker along with my beer, making it a great memento of the event.
From the Writer
GOLDEN BEER FESTA was an irresistible event for local beer lovers, with local beers made using locally sourced ingredients on offer.
I could sense that every brewery shared the desire to “help people discover the appeal of their hometown through local beer,” and I enjoyed listening to the staff explain their beers. I felt that I learned not only about how delicious local beer is, but also about what makes each place special.
There aren’t many opportunities to drink local beers from outside the prefecture, so I was glad this event gave me the chance to discover a variety of them. Many beers challenged my preconceptions in the best way, with their colors and flavors, and I found myself wanting to keep an eye on local beer in the future.
A variety of events are held in the Courtyard Plaza at Kurashiki Ivy Square throughout the seasons, so be sure to check them out if you’re interested.
GOLDEN BEER FESTA Information
| Name | GOLDEN BEER FESTA |
|---|---|
| Dates | May 4 (Sat) and 5 (Sun), 2024 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Location | Kurashiki Ivy Square Courtyard Plaza |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission Beer tickets 1 drink / ¥500 · 10 drinks / ¥4,000 |
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