Beer Tasting @ Beers of Japan Festival 2024 in Fukuoka

 

Golden Week is upon us and there are a few things in life in celebrating a holiday like going out for a cold one. And what if you are not sure about what you would like to drink? Perhaps a festival that provides you with more beer choices than you can count may be a good start. 

Time for some fun!

With a name like the "Beers of Japan Festival", the festival provides the best and some of the most unusual beers that the country as to offer. And for this round, it is held in the Lalaport shopping Mall in Fukuoka. And yes, it is the one with the life size Gundam at the front. From Hokkaido to all the way in Kyushu, there is definitely some representation from different parts of the Japanese landscape and the variety did not disappoint. It should be noted that the place works a bit differently that your usual pub. First, you would need to pay using tickets, which stand at 700 yen a piece. A small beer stands at 1 ticket while a large one will be for 2. 

The first of many. 

Without further ado, I locked onto one of the more unusual beers, which is the coffee one. From Fukuoka's own Brewmaster, the Coffee Porter had a very interesting taste and mouthfeel to it. It felt very similar to a stout. It was full bodied, deep and a nutty flavour. The creaminess was very present and it was similar to a Guiness. However, there was that hint of coffee aroma which gave it a floral element to it. A really good start to my boozy journey. 

This was incredible. 

The second that I went for was the yuzu beer, which is another unusual option. This was from the Izushi Shiroyama Beer company from Hyogo prefecture. The beer was a different experience compared to the initial coffee one. This was light, had a crisp mouthfeel and was very refreshing. Being based on yuzu, there was a zesty and citrusy element to the overall package. It was a real stunner. Considering that we are close to summer now, this was an excellent choice. 

Original classic

For my third selection, I went for a bit of a classic, which is the pale ale from Kujyu Kogenchi, which is based from Oita. This was a very classic and traditional flavour. It was smooth, rich, and had the nutty and hoppy flavour. Well, it is what you expect from any good pale ale. The golden hues were really inviting and would have gone well with a burger.

Squad ready!

Speaking of food, there are a few food stalls for you to have a light meal or something to nibble on while you continue with your fizzy adventure. I went with some friends, and so we shared a serving of karaage. It was decent, but one serving stood at a price of 700 yen. So, it was a bit pricey for some fried chicken. But at least it was a good greasy companion to all the drinks we had. 

The packed sitting area

At time of writing, the event is still going on and the last day is on the 6th of May. It should be noted that Lalaport is a bit far from the main city area of Fukuoka. And it is a bit of an inconvenient place to reach out for. However, if you are a fan of beer, I think this is worth the slight detour. And if you need to know if you are the right spot, just look for the gigantic bipedal robot in front. You cannot miss it. 

The gigantic Gundam in all its glory.