TEN FORWARD Shares Spring Pairing of Firefly Squid and Hakuto Ale
TEN FORWARD in Iwami Town, Tottori, posted a spring pairing idea on Instagram at 13:53 on February 28, 2026. It paired raw firefly squid marinated in persimmon vinegar with "Hakuto Ale Hanasago Persimmon White," offering a concrete example of how local seasonal ingredients and craft beer can complement each other.
Hop BroHere comes some spring pairing news from the gods! TEN FORWARD in Iwami Town, Tottori, suggested matching firefly squid with "Hakuto Ale Hanasago Persimmon White."
MugiWait, firefly squid with beer!? And Hanasago persimmon sounds dessert-like, but it actually works!?
Hop BroThat’s the clever part. They lightly boil the raw firefly squid in salt water, clean it up, then marinate it with homemade persimmon vinegar and sun-dried salt. On top of that, they build the pairing around the beer’s gentle persimmon notes and the roundness of wheat.
MugiHold on, "build the pairing" suddenly sounds like a food lab! So what actually happens?
Hop BroSimply put, the firefly squid’s umami and sweetness from the liver are met by the beer’s soft sweetness and acidity, so they support each other instead of clashing. It’s a classic case of synergy in pairing.
MugiOhh, so it’s like both are stars, but they get along! And serving it with marinated garland chrysanthemum, shallots, and yuzu peel really pushes the aroma too!
Hop BroExactly. TEN FORWARD is the brewery behind IWAMI BLUE BEER, and since its theme is "a drink with meals," it excels at making beers that are completed together with food.
MugiWhat! So it’s beer made with eating in mind, not just drinking in mind!? Craft beer really does build a whole world around itself...!
Hop BroWhat’s great is how easy it is to recreate. The post even says both the raw firefly squid and Hakuto Ale can be bought at Michi-no-Eki Kinanse Iwami. They’ve made it perfect for experiencing local seasonal flavors at home.
MugiThat settles it! Tonight I’m prepping firefly squid and cracking open a Hakuto Ale! I want to drink spring from a glass!
The craft beer brewery and guesthouse TEN FORWARD in Iwami Town, Tottori Prefecture, shared on Instagram one example of how the feel of spring in the Sea of Japan region can be brought straight to the plate and glass.
The dish introduced in the post was raw firefly squid, parboiled in salt water, carefully cleaned of the eyes, beak, and cartilage, then finished as a marinade with homemade persimmon vinegar and sun-dried salt. As a side dish, it was served with a marinade of garland chrysanthemum, pickled shallots, and yuzu peel, layering aroma and acidity. The beer paired with it was "Hakuto Ale Hanasago Persimmon White."
The same post explained that the firefly squid's rich liver flavor and sweetness are complemented by the gentle notes from the persimmon and the soft body of wheat. Rather than merely saying it uses local ingredients, the post was striking in how it put the way the flavors overlap into words. It also noted that both the raw firefly squid and Hakuto Ale can be purchased at Michi-no-Eki Kinanse Iwami, making it easy for people to recreate the pairing at home.
TEN FORWARD is based in Uradome, Iwami Town, and operates IWAMI BLUE BEER. According to prefectural tourism information, the brewery is themed around "a drink with meals" and focuses on brewing that enhances the flavor of food. Since opening in 2023, it has proposed drinking occasions unique to a land rich in seafood and mountain ingredients, centering on four regular beers and four seasonal limited releases.
This post can be seen as a concrete expression of that philosophy through spring seafood. The combination of seasonal firefly squid and Hakuto Ale is a practical local pairing suggestion that lets people experience the seasonal character of Iwami at home.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroHere comes some spring pairing news from the gods! TEN FORWARD in Iwami Town, Tottori, suggested matching firefly squid with "Hakuto Ale Hanasago Persimmon White."
MugiWait, firefly squid with beer!? And Hanasago persimmon sounds dessert-like, but it actually works!?
Hop BroThat’s the clever part. They lightly boil the raw firefly squid in salt water, clean it up, then marinate it with homemade persimmon vinegar and sun-dried salt. On top of that, they build the pairing around the beer’s gentle persimmon notes and the roundness of wheat.
MugiHold on, "build the pairing" suddenly sounds like a food lab! So what actually happens?
Hop BroSimply put, the firefly squid’s umami and sweetness from the liver are met by the beer’s soft sweetness and acidity, so they support each other instead of clashing. It’s a classic case of synergy in pairing.
MugiOhh, so it’s like both are stars, but they get along! And serving it with marinated garland chrysanthemum, shallots, and yuzu peel really pushes the aroma too!
Hop BroExactly. TEN FORWARD is the brewery behind IWAMI BLUE BEER, and since its theme is "a drink with meals," it excels at making beers that are completed together with food.
MugiWhat! So it’s beer made with eating in mind, not just drinking in mind!? Craft beer really does build a whole world around itself...!
Hop BroWhat’s great is how easy it is to recreate. The post even says both the raw firefly squid and Hakuto Ale can be bought at Michi-no-Eki Kinanse Iwami. They’ve made it perfect for experiencing local seasonal flavors at home.
MugiThat settles it! Tonight I’m prepping firefly squid and cracking open a Hakuto Ale! I want to drink spring from a glass!
