Beer Gardens

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Although quite different from those in Germany, beer gardens attract thirsty businessmen and young party girls alike from May to the end of August. Most department stores have rooftop beer gardens that are open from 5:00-9:00 or 10:00pm nightly. Most places offer an all-you-can-eat-&-drink system, and you pay upon entering. Average cost is US$32(at today's exchange rate) and women get about $5 off that price. You will find draft beer, "shochu"(a distilled spirit similar to vodka, which is mixed with a flavored syrup and soda to make "chu-hai") and various soft drinks. The food varies from place to place but you can find the likes of "yakisoba"(fried noodles), grilled &/or fried chicken, sausages & french fries and a whole range of snackable tidbits. If you're in Japan in the summer, this is something you will not want to miss!

starrleicht · Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 11 Location: USA

That sounds interesting; Beer Gardens in Japan - sounds awesome. (I'm German, I think the beer fascination is in my genes,even though I rarely drink it! lol) :oops:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

The beer garden I went to the other night is on the rooftop of the Kurashiki train station building, six stories up. Directly across from the park is our very own "Tivoli Park", an exact replica of that in Denmark! The park and its Ferris wheel are lit up at night, making it an incredible view from the beer garden!

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 96 Location: Bucharest, Romania

:) Romanians are heavy beer drinkers! I like beer myself and have it quite often! Especially in summer time, when it's hot outside!
The beer gardens sound interesting! :oops: :oops:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

They're great, especially the "all-u-can-indulge" aspect! The place we were at last Sun. night had a 2-hour time limit, but my friends & I can still manage 8 or 10 beers in that time! Boy do they lose money on us "gaijin"(foreigners)!!! :D

dancin_feet · Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Brisbane, Australia

Enter the Aussie, beer drinking expert ...... :lol:

Love beergardens. Any pub / bar worth visiting has a beergarden here. Basically an outdoor area where you can drink and / or eat. I prefer these venues than just straight pubs because you get away from the closed in smokey bar and it's really great in summer. Usually have gas heaters out in winter so it's nice and cosy then too.

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

...speaking of which, have I ever mentioned that the summer I started drinking beer was the summer I lived in Germany? Makes for some beer snobbery on my part, that's for sure! But, as the Warsteiner advertising slogan went several years ago, "life's too short to drink cheap beer" :!: :D

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

When I go to visit my buddies in Bayern(Bavaria) I WALLOW in their fabulous brew! They claim to have close to a thousand breweries in Bayern alone! I TOTALLY agree with you on the "life's too short" ethic!

It's funny, when my brother was living in Kazakhstan, the people drink beer but consider it water. The Russians are so strong that only vodka seems to have any effect on them, thus the saying "Drinking beer without vodka is a waste of money".

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

Yes, that was the area I was living in in Germany too... about 60km southwest of Munchen (Munich). Surpisingly however, and as I learned backpacking through Europe about four years later, Belgium actually features more beers than does Germany! :shock:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

My friends live in a gorgeous little town called Landshut, in a 200-year old house right in the midle of the historical part of the center of town. I'm sure you know it!

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

P.S. Indeed, Belgium for brews and chocolate! What is the name of that place in Gent that has like 100 different kinds of beers, and sells a whole liter of beer in a glass with a large wooden stand holding it up? (You have to give them one of your shoes as they don't want people absconding with the glass. You have to visit the loo barefoot!)

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Tonight we are holding a "yukata-kai", which is just an excuse for all us ladies to dress up in summer cotton kimono and get together & eat & drink. The venue is Kurashiki Ivy Square, a hotel which also has events and a lovely brick-walled courtyard where our beer garden party will be held. Most beer gardens are notorious for their lousy food(most folks go to just quaff brew anyway!) but Ivy Square offers a mixture of mediterranean and Japanese foods, all delicious, as well as hors d'ouvres to go with the beer! I sure hope it cools down a bit- we're having a heatwave at the moment and the humidity is still something like 80%... :oops: (This is not EMBARRASSMENT, it's the emoticon for HEAT EXHAUSTION!!!)

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Boo hoo :cry: . Tonight was to be another beer garden party, but it's pouring rain at the moment and doesn't look like it will clear up by 6:00pm. Oh well(*sigh*), I'll just have to wait till Saturday, the last night of the beer garden! We're having a party there and there's usually a great jazz band that plays! 8)

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

Sorry to hear you were rained out (or "in" as the case may be! :lol:) cocodrilo. I hope Saturday is a blast...

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 96 Location: Bucharest, Romania

sorry your fun was ruined by rain... hope Saturday will be better!