Friday, June 12, 2009

bi-ru

In Japan, beer is pronounced (bee-ru) with bee being elongated. If you pronounce it short (beeru), you will be talking about buildings.

Anyway, during the summers here, there are beer gardens, usually located at the top of department stores or hotels, where you pay a flat rate then drink and eat all you want.

Usually the men pay more than the women, but if you are woman with a hearty appetite and can drink a lot, you can usually get your monies worth and more.

When we first moved to Japan, we checked out these beer gardens, but the food is kind of junk and not worth the price you pay. Plus, if it rains, there are no refunds.

I've heard that some places in Europe like their beer room temperature, but in Japan the beer is served ice cold, sometimes so cold you can get brain freeze.

I wanted to share with you some of the beer we have been enjoying with our pupu (appetizer) style dinners.

Heineken Dark Lager 355 ml, 5% alchohol from Holland. I bought this on sale at Yamaya for 278 yen (about US$2.78). I didn't care for this one, even though it was dark it didn't have much depth or punch.

Fuller's ESB, 330 ml, 6% alchohol from England, also from Yamaya on sale 188 yen (about US$1.88). This beer was fruity, so-so for me.

Paulaner's Oktoberfest Bier, 6% alchohol from Germany, also on sale at Yamaya for 298 yen (about US$2.98). Though this one was pale, it had a nice punch to it.

If you have been drinking beer, what types have you been drinking?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting about the beer garden. I'm not a beer drinker so, I wouldn't benefit from it, though. ;-)

Paz (who's just learned how to pronounce Bi-ru) ;-)

chandlerguera said...

I love Guinness! We also drink Sapporo when we go to a nice sushi restaurant. My boyfriend likes Budwiser, just like my dad used to drink.

K and S said...

That is true, Paz, you would probably benefit hanging out at other places during the summer in Japan :)

Thanks Chandlerguera, I enjoy Guinness also :)

Take care you two.
Kat

2kamuela47 said...

Not much of a beer drinker. That beer garden is interesting though.

K and S said...

Thanks Laura, I am glad you found the beer garden interesting :)

Take care.
Kat

jesss said...

here in australia, i tried beer from the tap in this bar and it tasted like nothing i ever tasted!!

it was so amazing, because when you first drank it, it just tasted like normal beer. BUT the aftertaste had this distinct malt taste!

apparently, this bar i went to also made their beer, but i didnt get to try it...

:)

K and S said...

That does sound good Jess! Hopefully you'll be able to try their homemade beer too :)

Take care.
Kat

meemalee said...

I love Beer Gardens even though I don't like beer!

I went to the one on top of Hankyu Dept Store in Osaka and they had five different flavours of chu-hai :)

K and S said...

I had forgotten about those chu-hai, Meemalee :)

Take care.
Kat

Rowena said...

No beer gardens here, only brew pub/restaurants. I was surprised to see that dark Heinie...haven't seen that here yet.

Thanks for putting up this post because I've been slacking in the beer department. If I tell you what I had a few nights ago will that take me off the hook? (hehe just kidding). I tried this Double Chocolate Stout which was pretty good in flavor, and not bitter in the least, and the mouthfeel was thick. I think it was like 5 euros a bottle! What was really cool is that the server brings you a cold one, opens it in front of you and pours it into a glass. The way he poured was like a show! He held the bottle up high and lowered the glass about waist level then poured. In doing so it created a LOT of foam head. I was like...geez, I would have totally missed and hit the floor. He was spot on pouring the beer in.

We are definitely going to hang out here more often...they allow doggies in too!

K and S said...

ooh that sounds like a great place to hang out and that beer also sounded good! I haven't seen that one around here Rowena :)

Take care.
Kat

boo rude said...

Don't have beer gardens here. Recently tried couple of OZ beer.

Pure Blonde is low in carbs,great for the beer belly.
http://rudekawliflawa.blogspot.com/2009/04/pure-blonde.html

Little Creatures has this honey-like beer, so delicious. It's called Bright Ale. Just wonderful.
http://rudekawliflawa.blogspot.com/2009/03/lil-creatures.html

K and S said...

Those 2 sound delicious, though the alcohol level seems low, Rudekawliflawa, I think I may be getting used to 6% types.

Take care.
Kat