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FOOD&DRINKHOKKAIDODAY8SEPTEMBER22NDSAPPORO,HOKKAIDOIT’STAKENEIGHTDAYSOFOURTRIPTOREACHONEOFJAPAN’SBIGCITIES.WITHALITTLEUNDER2MILLIONINHABITANTS,CHILLYSAPPORO,CAPITALOFHOKKAIDO,MAYBEAFRACTIONOFTHESIZEOFTOKYOBUTTHERE’SNODOUBTINGIT’SAMAJORCITY.IFITWEREINTHEUK,IT’DONLYHAVELONDONAHEADOFITINTERMSOFPOPULATION.IT’SHARDTOIMAGINEITWHILETHESTREETSARESTILLBARE,BUTUPHERE,JAPANSPENDSASMUCHHALFTHEYEARBLANKETEDINSNOW.THEREARESALMONINTHERIVERS,BEARSINTHEWILDERNESSANDANANNUALSNOWFESTIVAL.IT’SASKIINGMECCAANDINTHEPASTTHERE’SEVENBEENAWINTEROLYMPICSONTHEOUTSKIRTSOFTHECITY.YET,REALLY,IT’SNOTTHATFARNORTH–PARISAND,EVENPARTSOFSPAIN,ARECLOSERTOTHENORTHPOLETHANSAPPORO.THEARCTICCONDITIONSAREALLTODOWITHWIND,SPECIFICALLYTHEFRIGIDGUSTSTHATARRIVEUNHINDEREDFROMSIBERIA.IMAGINESUPERMANDOINGHISFREEZE-BREATHTHING.FORSIXMONTHS.THAT’SSAPPORO.PEOPLEARECOLDMOREOFTENTHANNOTUPHERE,AND,ASANYGRINNINGALCOHOLICWILLTELLYOU,THEQUICKESTWAYTOGETWARMISWITHADRINK.ORFIVE.IT’SNOSURPRISE,THEN,TOLEARNTHATHOKKAIDOISHOMETOSOMEOFTHECOUNTRY’SBIGGESTBREWERIESANDDISTILLERIES.MOREONTHEWHISKEYANOTHERTIME,BUTTODAYSAPPOROISHOMETOPERHAPSTHEBESTBEERCOMPANYINJAPAN.INONEINCARNATIONORANOTHER,THESAPPOROBREWERYHASBEENMAKINGRESIDENTSOFTHECITYHAPPYANDFORGETFULFOR135YEARS,MAKINGITJAPAN’SOLDESTPURVEYOROFBEER.THESUCCESSOFBOTHTHECITYANDTHEBREWARELINKED:ASSAPPOROGREW,SODIDTHENUMBEROFBEERDRINKERS;ASTHECOMPANYGREW,SOITNEEDEDTOEMPLOYMOREPEOPLE.OFCOURSENOWIT’SALLATREMENDOUSLYLARGECORPORATEVENTURE,BUTFORVISITORS,THEORIGINALRED-BRICKBREWERYJUSTEASTOFTHECITYCENTREOFFERSTHECHANCETOLEARNABOUTHOWTHEBEERGOTAFOOTHOLDHEREFIRST,BEFOREGOINGONTOBECOMEAGLOBALLYRECOGNISEDBRAND.IT’SWELLWORTHAVISIT,NOTLEASTBECAUSETHERE’SSOMEHEAVILYSUBSIDISEDBEERTOTRYATTHEEND–ANDNOCOVERCHARGE.INTHEWRONGHANDS,THATKINDOFGENEROSITYCOULDTURNINTOARAUCOUSPUBCRAWL.BUTNOTUS.PARTLYBECAUSEWEWANTEDTOGETOUT,SEESOMEMOREOFTHECITY,ANDTOEATSOMEGENGISKHAN.NOTTHATTHERE’SANYOFTHEOLDWARLORDLEFTTOGOAROUND–NOONEEVENKNOWSWHEREHE’SBURIED.INSTEADHEREINSAPPOROONEOFHISTORY’SMOREFEARSOMEWARRIORSLENDSHISNAMETOATASTYDISHOFDIYBARBEQUEDLAMB.WOULDTHETERROROFASIABEHAPPYWITHTHIS?WHOKNOWS,BUTHE’DSURELYDOFFHISFURRYHATTOTHEWILDPOPULARITYOFHISDISH.ITTOOKUSALMOSTANHOUROFTRUDGINGAROUNDTHEDARKCITY,BEINGCONTINOUSLYTURNEDAWAYFROMFULLRESTAURANTSBEFOREWEFOUNDASEAT.ITMUSTBEIMPOSSIBLEONWEEKENDS.SAPPOROBEERANDALLITSVARIETALSMAYBETHEKINGBREWHERE,BUTIT’SNOTTHEONLYTHINGONOFFER.AGOODFRIENDOFMINETOLDMETHAT“FORTHELOVEOFGOD”WESHOULDCHECKOUTTHEMUGISHUTEIBEERINNONTHESOUTHSIDEOFTHECITYCENTREBECAUSE,INHISOPINION,IT’STHEBESTBARINASIA.ASMYFRIENDISOFTENCORRECT,ANDWOULDLIKELYPUNCHMEINTHEFACEIFIPASSEDUPTHEOPPORTUNITY,WEDECIDEDTOHEADALONG.ANDHEWASRIGHT:ITISSPECIAL.NOTONLYFORTHESHEERNUMBEROFBEERSANDALESONOFFER,BUTFORTHECLEARLYOBSESSIVECOLLECTIONOFCANSANDBOTTLESFROMACROSSTHEYEARS,ANDAROUNDTHEGLOBE.IFYOUFOUNDACOLLECTIONLIKETHISINYOURGREATUNCLE’SATTIC,YOU’DTHINKHEWASMAD,BUTINAWEEBAR,TUCKEDAWAYDOWNADANKFLIGHTOFSTAIRSTHEWHOLETHING,LIKEALLOFSAPPORO,ISKINDACOOL.SAPPOROMEANOTHERONE
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