Local Trip Info offered by
Washington Hotel and Hotel Gracery

Savor World-Renowned Sake and Locally Brewed Beer of Wakayama around Wakayamashi Station

平和酒店 キーノ和歌山店(Heiwa Sakabaten Kiino)

Wakayama, a prefecture rich in nature and culture located in the south of Osaka, is an ideal destination for a short excursion both from KIX and downtown Osaka, and also is the place where Sake and craft beer brewing is thriving. Well-known Sake brewed in Wakayama are ‘KID Daiginjo’ (紀土KID 大吟醸) having won GOLD2 in SAKE COMPETITION 2017, and ‘Rashomon Ryuju Junmai Daiginjo’ (羅生門 純米大吟醸 龍寿) having consecutively been awarded Monde Selection Grand Gold Award since 1989. In this issue, let us take you to 3 spots where you can fully enjoy local Sake and craft beer Wakayama has to offer.

Every spot in this issue is within a walking distance from Wakayamashi Station (NK45) that is a one-hour ride on Nankai Line from Izumiōtsu Station (NK20), the nearest one from Kanku Izumiotsu Washington Hotel.

At “Sake Bar Mizube-za”, explore to meet your favorite Sake from all breweries in Wakayama

Sake Bar 水辺座(Sake Bar Mizubeza)
Photo by @marin1015

Gazing at Ichihori River, a moat of Wakayama Castle, “Sake Bar Mizube-za” (Sake Bar 水辺座) is a Sake bar in the theme of the waterside offering Sake of all the 10 breweries in Wakayama Prefecture. Stepping into the bar, you’ll find counter seats on the right while there are Japanese-style seats located in the inmost part offering a nice view of Ichihori River. For those who are not good at Sake, craft beer, Japanese plum wine (梅酒) and peach wine (モモ酒) are also available. As the pairing is essential to fully savor Sake, try its signature Oden (おでん, a type of Nabe dish consisting of several ingredients stewed in Dashi, a kelp-based broth) as well. When ordering Oden, don’t forget to ask for including local ingredients such as Honeten (ほね天), a fried mince of locally landed scabbard fish, and Atsuage (厚揚げ, fried Tohu) that leaves a rich aroma of soybeans.

Opening Hours6:30PM – 11:00PM on Tuesdays to Saturdays / 6:30PM – 10:00PM on Sundays / Closed on Mondays
Table Charge300 yen (incl. an appetizer)
Address53 Motobakuroumachi, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture
AccessA 2-minute walk from Wakayamashi Station (NK45).
URLhttps://www.facebook.com/mizubeza/

Try the fruity craft beer, the world’s first one brewed from Kōji at “ORYZAE BREWING”

ORYZAE BREWING
Photo by @tomo.n75

A micro-brewery ORYZAE BREWING is the first one to have brewed beer whose main ingredient is Kōji (麹, malted rice). Normally, beer is brewed from malt, hops and yeast, however, ORYZAE BREWING produces fruity flavor beer in traditional Japanese way without using them. At the paid-tasting bar attached to the beer shop on the first floor, you can drink ‘Oryzae Pale Ale’, a Bronze Medal awarded flavored beer in The International Beer Cup 2019. Though no appetizers are served, you can bring your own to pair with the beer. You can either enjoy a freshly brewed beer at the bar or get and bring some bottles back to your hotel room for enjoying privately.

Opening Hours11:00AM – 6:00PM / Closed on Mondays, Sundays and national holidays
AddressKinoshita Bldg., 3 Funadaikumachi, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture
AccessA 5-minute walk from Wakayamashi Station (NK45)
URLhttps://oryzaebrewing.com/

Wine and craft beer flights at “Heiwa Saketen Ki:no Wakayama”, a bar ran by a Sake brewery

平和酒店 キーノ和歌山店(Heiwa Sakabaten Kiino)
Photo by @azu___0331

On the 2nd floor of Ki:no Wakayama, a commercial complex directly connected to Wakayamashi Station, “Heiwa Saketen Ki:no Wakayama” (平和酒店キーノ和歌山店) ran by a brewery Heiwa Shuzou (平和酒造) offers its own brewed drinks such as Sake ‘KID’ (紀土), plum wine ‘Tsuruume’ (鶴梅), and craft beer ‘Heiwa Craft’ (平和クラフト). In addition to purchasing bottled and canned drinks, you can order Sake flights and craft beer flights to enjoy at the bar. For paring with Sake and beer, appetizers are also available. The signature ones are chopped Char siu and Menma (メンマ, pickled bamboo shoots) prepared by the local popular Ramen restaurant Marutaya (丸田屋), and homemade Tofu prepared by Yamaguchi Tofu (山口豆腐). As brewers are at the bar to serve as bartenders, you get to hear the stories behind Sake brewing.

Opening Hours11:00AM – 8:00PM (shop) / Noon – 8:00PM (bar) / Irregular holidays available
AddressKi:no Wakayama, Higashikuramaecho, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture
AddressDirectly connected to Wakayamashi Station (NK45)
URLhttps://www.heiwashuzou.co.jp/wordpress/

Base of this trip