BeerPub Hirara : The Bottom Line
BeerPub Hirara has a solid community behind it that are friendly and kind but it’s a long way to go for some average beers really, though the guest beers may leave you much happier. The whole place is non-smoking, has no table charge, and free wifi. The menus didn’t have any English on them so you will need someone who can read and/or speak Japanese to help you out.
BeerPub Hirara : The Full Story
I had had a few beers from Sumikawa Brewing during my time in Hokkaido and was on the lookout for trying some at the source. Unfortunately, the brewery wasn’t allowing guests in at the time – something to do with Covid-19; however, I had been told that BeerPub Hirara was essentially the brewery taproom and I could always get some of their beers from there.
BeerPub Hirara is located about 3 minutes from Sumikawa Station, on the Namboku line, and it opened in December 2017.
BeerPub Hirara : Atmosphere & Interior
Once you get into BeerPub Hirara, it does seem a little dark at first – there didn’t appear to be any windows, in spite of the bar itself being in quite an open area. This did lend some mystique to the bar – had it been a snack bar in a previous life, or do they want time to pass quickly so you drink more? The atmosphere though was warm and welcoming – the staff were a little surprised to see a foreigner so far out of Sapporo, and did politely explain that they didn’t speak English or had any menus.
Inside BeerPub Hirara, there is space for 20 people, with 6 counter seats and then the rest at various tables around the bar. There is not table charge and the bar is non-smoking. During the warmer months of the year, it’s possible to get some drinks to take outside onto the front patio area, though during the time I was in Hokkaido, there was still a lot of snow yet to be removed. BeerPub Hirara also has some free wifi, which you’ll need as the phone reception was terrible at the time
BeerPub Hirara : Approach to Covid-19
Like other bars in the area, BeerPub Hirara followed the local government laws – so alcohol spray, temperature checks, mask wearing, and social distancing where possible. The infamous Sapporo poster promoting the reporting of places that don’t follow the restrictions was also in place.
BeerPub Hirara : Beer & Tap Information
On the day I went to BeerPub Hirara, there were 8 taps of craft beer on, with 6 of those being for local Sumikawa Brewing’s lineup, and then 2 guest beers – which turned out to be Schneider Weisse – talk about lucking out! All of the beers come in three sizes: half (250 ml) at 700 yen, regular (360 ml) at 1,000 yen, and then original (450 ml) at 1,250 yen – so the usual for prices in Sapporo, no matter that this is a brewpub? There is also a beer flight that gets you 3 half sized beers for 1,800 yen, so go for that if you’re trying out all the beers. There is also an option for growler fills and some bottled beers for takeaway.
BeerPub Hirara : Food Information
There are some small bits of food on offer at BeerPub Hirara, mostly finger foods and appetisers, but there were a few curry choices too – a shame that I had just eaten at Source 6, else I would have jumped on the biryani options. There were some vegetarian options too but the menus were all in Japanese but prices did include tax.
BeerPub Hirara : Information
- Open : Tuesday to Friday 18:00 – 23:00 (L.O Food 22:00 Drink 22:30) Weekends 15:00 – 22:00 (L.O Food 21:00 Drink 21:30)
- Closed : Mondays
- Happy Hour : N/A
- Phone : 011-807-4565
- Homepage (in Japanese) : http://bar-hirara.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
