The Numadari Beer Pub was newly opened in Numadari, Chuo-ku, in January 2016. It is a place where you can enjoy Numadaru Beer, a craft beer that is currently the talk of the town. We went there for a sneak preview!

What is swamp beer?

Let's start with an explanation of Numadari Beer. Numadaru Beer is an original craft beer produced by the Numadaru Beer Company, which was founded by Mr Zenmatsu Takano, a native of Numadaru. Numadaru is a 'town of fermentation', where fermented foods such as miso and sake have long taken root. Beer is also produced through the process of fermentation. President Takano recognised this and thought, "We should be able to make good beer in Numadaru".

Zubari's appeal is that it is "a mellow, deep, rich craft beer (extract from the official flyer), fermented without filtration or heating by live beer yeast, suited to the town of Numadari"! Sounds delicious! A visit to the official website reveals this description.

It is a new style that significantly changes the way beer tastes. Aged barley wine, fermented and matured by the natural action of beer yeast and kegged without filtration or heating.

The ingredients, beer yeast, etc. settle at the bottom of the glass. It is characterised by its deep richness and bitterness. The sweetness of the malt used is also present in the depths of the beer. Compared to ordinary beer, it has a "richer" taste.

Enjoy the craft beer from Numadari Beer, which is fermented in our microbrewery using an extravagant amount of malt and hops, with live beer yeast.　( From the official website of Numadari Beer, the town of fermentation )

I like beer more than three meals! As an author who is not afraid to say so, I'm curious about this..! Let's get going right away!

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Located approximately 1 km from Niigata Station. Right next to Kurinoki Bypass.

The Numadari Beer Pub is located approximately 1 km from Niigata Station.

It is recommended to take a bus from Niigata Station. Get off at 'Kambara-cho', cross the Kurinoki Bypass and follow the side road towards Numadari Hakusan Shrine.

Arrival! On the left is the Numadari Brewery and the overhanging building on the right side of the photo is the Numadari Beer Pub. So you have a brewery (brewery*1) and a pub (pub*2) in the same building. The building, which had been vacant, was renovated and opened as a 'brewery and beer pub'. Turning a vacant space into a spot where you can enjoy beer... this makes my heart flutter. I'll go in right away.

Brewery = a brewery where beer and other products are made. Also called "brewery". Breweries are also called 'breweries' by foreign countries.

Pub = 'tavern' developed in the UK. Originally said to have originated from 'Public House', it served as a social space in the town. Payment is based on 'cash on delivery', i.e. payment is made in advance when the order is delivered.

When we entered the restaurant, it was crowded with customers! The restaurant is long and narrow, with three small wooden tables and one large table. Basically, it's a stand-up drinking style. All of them were already full. Unfortunately, it was a very cold day, but I was surprised at how busy it was.

Overwhelmed by the full house, a customer at a large table (a family with small children) offered to share a table with us, saying "Come in!" and offered us a table with him. The humanity of the people was deeply felt (as expected in downtown Niigata...!). The restaurant is located in the heart of Niigata's downtown.

Three craft beers and a varied food menu.

Now, now. When it comes to the standing drinking style, it's not worth waiting around. Order quickly.

I had heard in advance that there were three different kinds of beer to enjoy, so I came here thinking excitedly, "What shall I drink? But, however! When I looked down at the menu, I saw the words "Drink Comparison Value Set" shining brilliantly! I had no choice but to order it. What's more, it comes with Katsutaro Stick, a hard bread stick made from beer yeast! Fat belly...

Comparison Value Sets

Well, here we are! Here's a set of drinking deals!

Comparison set ¥800

Hyaho! Here they come! From left to right: weizen, pale ale and IPA.

Let's start with the description of the beer you're interested in. There was a very clear description in the shop, so I would like to report based on that.

• Photo left: 'Weizen' - a beer from the Bavarian region of Germany. It is a blend of almost half beer barley and half wheat, with more foam than usual, banana-like estery and aromatic flavours. Because it is unfiltered, it is called hefe (yeast) weizen or 'white beer'. This beer is also ideal for women.

(Author): very easy to drink. Very fruity. It goes down your throat very smoothly. The other two are quite thick and deep. I'll drink them all!" I think it would be better to start with this one.

• Middle photo: 'Pale ale'... "This is the style that many people say got them hooked on craft beer". It is brewed with an abundance of light-coloured barley malt. A traditional example is the British pub 'Bitter' (Bitter Beer), with an alcohol content of 3% to 5% or more. It is characterised by a deep, rich and bitter taste. It also has a sweetness (richness) from the malt used in abundance. Compared to ordinary beer, it has a "stronger" taste.

(Author): It is a real pale ale. Naturally, it's quite bitter. But I thought it was relatively easy to drink among pale ales. If you're afraid that pale ales are... bitter? If you're afraid of bitter pale ales, why not start with this set of pale ales?

• Right: "IPA"... IPA stands for India Pale Ale, which was first brewed during the Age of Discovery when beer was transported from England to India. The beer was then infused with large quantities of hops, which had antiseptic properties. Hops are a type of herb, so they have a distinctive aroma. IPAs made with large quantities of hops are therefore the most aromatic.

(Author): Here we go. The much talked-about 'IPA' can now be enjoyed in Numadari. As an aside, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has called "IPA" "ipa" and been laughed at by the shop staff. LOL.

Also, the 'Katsutaro Stick' on the far right of the photo! This is also the best... It's a hard bread made with beer yeast, but it goes very well with all beers. It acts as a booster, doesn't it (laughs).

At the Numadari Beer Pub, you can enjoy original beers of the above three tastes.

Sausages' and 'tofu dengaku' to go with the beer! Food is also delicious!

The Numadori Brewery also serves good food. For now, we ordered the following menu items.

Vegetable sticks ¥250

Vegetable sticks that are great to eat as an appetiser or as a snack. Dip them in the special sauce and Eat.

Sausage platter (3 types of sausages & potatoes) ¥500

The beer is sausages and potatoes! This was also the most delicious. The sausages are a good combination with Weizen, which originated in Germany (and fits the image). The potatoes were also rich and the beer went down a treat.

Rokubei Tofu Dengaku ¥350

Tofu dengaku. This is indeed a town of fermentation. The miso on top of the tofu and the warm tofu are the best.

Too good to be true...

It was so good that I ordered a few more drinks and gulped them down.

Pale ale ¥600

Oh no, it's really delicious. I'm going to get on a roll with this and go gung-ho... (laughs)

Ka~! Ume! （The author is enjoying his fourth cup of tea.

In the meantime, the restaurant became even busier, so we left in a happy mood. The restaurant had a wonderful atmosphere, with customers from all walks of life coming in and out of the restaurant in turn, and we had some small conversations with the customers sitting next to us.

Finally.

What did you think? Mr Takano, president of Numadari Beer, said: 'I think that the establishment of small breweries in towns and the bustle of these places will be useful for the future revitalisation of the area. A style in which locals enjoy locally produced products will take root. That is the basic principle.

In cities that are currently attracting attention, such as Portland and Brooklyn in the USA, 'microbreweries' (small breweries) are very popular. Brewing and gathering at microbreweries is a big trend, as it is "cool! and a new movement is being born from these microbreweries.

First of all, they should be closely connected to the local community and provide beer of reliable quality within their own visible range, and people will come to them. This is also a way of 'town revitalisation'...

Incidentally, as it is not currently sold in bottles, Numadari Beer can only be enjoyed at limited outlets such as Numadari Beer Pubs.

Why not visit the town of Numadari to enjoy a supreme drink that can only be enjoyed in Numadari (* Information current as of 2/2016). Please note that this information is current as of February 2016)

Thank you for reading to the end!

Shop information

Numata Brewery & Beer Pub.

• Address: 1-6-1 Numazari-higashi, Chuo-ku, Niigata City
• Telephone number: 025-383-8720
• Days open: Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
• Opening hours: thur & fri 5:30pm-8:30pm, sat 1:30pm-8:30pm.
• Official website: fermentation town, Numadari Beer.