Free beer on tap! It doesn’t matter what else I write here. Free beer!

Japan is not a country where it’s hard to find somewhere cheap to drink your fill of beer or other alcoholic drink of choice, with nomihodai (“all-you-can-drink”) deals that would seemingly bankrupt businesses if they tried them in my homeland. Free alcohol though, is a rarer beast. Thanks to Hakone Beer, though, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary, you can fill a receptacle of your choice with their delicious beer and munch on some of their snacks, and all gratis.

On Sunday, December 3, Hakone Beer will host a special free-to-participate event where attendees can bring a cup of their choice (which seems open to abuse, and has us dusting off our oversized coffee mugs, spare bathtubs and the like) to fill with their delicious life-giving beer. It does specify though that you shouldn’t take more than you can actually drink.

▼ “Bring your own glass and pour as much as you like!”

You’ll be able to fill up your container yourself using the “Dream Beer Tap” that will be making an appearance, at least as long as you’re aged twenty years or older. There will be three beers on offer: the Hakone Pilsner, the Odawara Ale and the Kazamatsuri Stout. It does warn that the amount of beer the company will have on hand is limited, to about 1,500 glasses’ worth, so it’s a case of first come, first served.

Not only will be you able to drink for free, Hakone Beer will also be preparing Suzuhiro Company-made kamaboko cured surimi fish paste snacks for 1,500 people to nibble on as they gulp down the nectar of the gods.

If a free glass of beer and a snack isn’t enough, there will also be a chance on the day to win a set of three Hakone beers by hashtagging the company on social media.

The event will be held on December 3 in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward at the Futako Tamagawa Rise Galleria from midday to five o’clock in the evening, but with a limited amount of free beer on offer, it’ll be worth getting there early.

Even if you can’t make it to the event itself, if you live in Japan (or know someone who does, someone you can trust not to drink your winnings) there are still ways to get your hands on some free beers, by entering the prize draw on the Hakone Beer website.

Event information:
Hakone Beer 20th Anniversary Gratitude Festival/20周年記念箱根ビール大感謝祭
Address: Tokyo-to, Setagaya-ku, Tamagawa 2-21-1 Futako Tamagawa Rise Galleria
東京都世田谷区玉川2-21-1二子玉川ライズ・ガレリア
Event date: December 3, 2017
Event hours: Noon-5 p.m.

Source: Hakone Beer via Otakomu
Images: Hakone Beer