大阪のうまい酒、くらわんか！
-山野酒造 山野久幸さん-
Delicious Sake from Osaka, Kurawanka!
- Hisayuki Yamano of Yamano Sake Brewery -

ある日、近所の酒屋さんで「HIRAKATA SAKE」「くらわんか」と記されたシンプルなラベルの日本酒が目にとまり買ってみた。ラベルの裏には「交野市 山野酒造」の文字。大阪市と京都を結ぶのどかな枚方・交野エリアで、地酒が造られているとは知らなかった！

瓶を振ると乳白色に濁るくらわんか酒は、微かに発泡性があり、完熟したメロンのようにとろりと優しい甘酸っぱさ。こんなにフルーティな日本酒は初めてでびっくり！代表の山野久幸さんにお話を聞かせていただくため、京阪電車を乗り継ぎ山野酒造を訪ねた。 

One day, at a local liquor store, I noticed a simple label on a bottle of sake that read "HIRAKATA SAKE" and "Kurawanka." I decided to buy it. On the back of the label, it said "Yamano Sake Brewery, Katano City." I had no idea that local sake was being made in the peaceful Hirakata-Katano area, which connects Osaka City and Kyoto!

When I shook the bottle, the Kurawanka sake turned milky white. It had a slight effervescence and a rich, gentle sweet-sourness, reminiscent of a perfectly ripe melon. I was amazed by how fruity this sake was! To learn more, I took the Keihan train to visit Yamano Sake Brewery and talk with the representative, Hisayuki Yamano.

地の米で地の酒を
Sake Made from Local Rice

山野酒造は大阪北東部、淀川と山々に囲まれた自然豊かな北河内エリアで、江戸末期から続く歴史ある酒蔵だ。メイン銘柄の「片野桜」のほか、交野市の市民大学や寝屋川市の老舗酒屋と協力し北河内に根差した地酒造りを精力的に行っている。山野さんは「時代には逆行しているかもしれませんけど、私たちが造る酒は、できるだけ余計な手を加えないものが多いですねぇ。」と、日本酒本来の旨みやフレッシュさを生かした製法へのこだわりを語ってくれた。

山野さん、僕が飲んで驚いたくらわんか酒について教えていただけますか？「『くらわんか』というのは枚方のシンボル的なもので、これを現代に復活させようという話になったんです。」枚方のシンボル？そもそもくらわんかって一体何だろう？

Yamano Sake Brewery is a historic sake brewery in the Kita-Kawachi area, surrounded by the Yodo River and mountains in the northeastern part of Osaka. Established at the end of the Edo period, the brewery is known for its main brand, "Katano Sakura," and collaborates with the local university in Katano City and an old liquor store in Neyagawa City to produce sake rooted in the local culture. Hisayuki Yamano shared, "We might be going against the trend, but most of our sake is made with minimal intervention. We focus on preserving the natural flavor and freshness of the sake."

I asked Mr. Yamano about the Kurawanka sake that had surprised me. "Kurawanka is a symbol of Hirakata, and we decided to revive it for modern times." A symbol of Hirakata? What exactly is Kurawanka?

 

枚方で紡がれるくらわんか精神
The Kurawanka Spirit Woven in Hirakata

「くらわんか」は「食べてみろ！」という意図を込めた河内弁だ。江戸時代、「天下の台所」大坂は全国から物資が集まる商業の中心だった。文化・手工業が盛んな京都とは街道で結ばれ、たくさんの人が往来した。京都と大坂の中間に位置する枚方には旅籠（旅館）や茶屋（飲食店）などが集まり、旅人が疲れを癒す宿場町として賑わった。

三十石船という客船が京都の伏見から大坂まで淀川を上下するようになると、枚方にやってくる三十石船の客に地元民が小舟で近づき「餅くらわんか！鮨くらわんか！酒のまんかい！」と乱暴な言葉で食べ物や酒を売り始めた。これが後に「くらわんか舟」と呼ばれ、枚方の名物となった。

初対面のお客さんにやりすぎなくらい強い押しで売るくらわんか舟の話を聞いて最初はギョッとした。でも、これは相手との距離をグッと縮めるのが好きな大阪人ならではの歓迎の仕方、商売のやり方なのかもしれない。そういえばあのくらわんか酒も酒屋のおっちゃんに「これ間違いないから絶対飲んでみた方がいいで！」と自信満々に言われて、つい買ってしまったんだった！

"Kurawanka" is a phrase in Kawachi dialect that means "Give it a try!" or "Eat up!" During the Edo period, Osaka, known as "the nation's kitchen," was a commercial hub where goods from all over Japan gathered. It was connected to Kyoto, a city rich in culture and craftsmanship, by a well-traveled highway. Located halfway between Kyoto and Osaka, Hirakata flourished as a post town filled with inns and teahouses where travelers could rest.

When passenger boats called "Sanjukkoku-bune" began traveling up and down the Yodo River between Fushimi in Kyoto and Osaka, locals in Hirakata would row out to these boats and loudly hawk their goods with cries of "Mochi kurawanka! Sushi kurawanka! Sake nomankai!" which means "Eat some mochi! Try some sushi! Drink some sake!" This aggressive salesmanship gave rise to the term "Kurawanka-bune," making it a local specialty.

Initially, I was startled by the story of Kurawanka-bune's overly assertive sales tactics to first-time customers. However, I realized this might be a typical Osaka way of warmly welcoming people and doing business by quickly bridging the gap between seller and buyer. Come to think of it, I bought the Kurawanka sake because the liquor store owner confidently told me, "You have to try this; it's a sure thing!"

前のめりに伝える
Enthusiastically Sharing the Tradition

枚方・交野で長い歴史を歩んできた山野酒造が「くらわんか」精神を象徴するお酒を復活させたことは、とても意義深い。「当時の造り方に思いを馳せて、全て地元枚方の農家さんが育てた、ご飯として食べられるヒノヒカリで造っています。現在では珍しい酵母を使いうすにごりという仕上げにすることで、洗練された綺麗な酒ではなく、親しみやすい甘さとワインのような酸のある味わいになりました。」

現代の大阪には関西国際空港という、世界と日本各地をつなぐ大きな玄関口がある。大阪・ミナミといえば、ホテルや飲食店、娯楽施設が街にひしめいているさまは、まるで現代版の宿場町のようだ。LiLo Coffee Roastersにも、世界中のお客さんがコーヒーを楽しみに足を運んでくれる。僕たちも大阪のコーヒーロースターとして、くらわんか舟の売り子のようにコーヒーの楽しさを前のめりに伝えていこう。これを読んでいるあなたも、隣の人と大阪ブレンドを一緒に楽しんで、輪を拡げてもらえると嬉しいな。

It is highly significant that Yamano Sake Brewery, with its long history in Hirakata and Katano, has revived the Kurawanka spirit in their sake. "We reflect on the methods of the past and use Hinohikari rice grown by local farmers in Hirakata, which can also be eaten as table rice. By using a rare yeast and producing it as a lightly cloudy sake, we've created a drink that's not overly refined but offers a familiar sweetness and a wine-like acidity."

Modern Osaka boasts Kansai International Airport, a major gateway connecting the world with Japan. The bustling streets of Osaka's Minami area, packed with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment facilities, resemble a contemporary version of a post town. At LiLo Coffee Roasters, we also welcome customers from all over the world who come to enjoy our coffee. As an Osaka-based coffee roaster, we aspire to share the joy of coffee with the same enthusiasm as the Kurawanka-bune vendors. We hope that you, the reader, will enjoy Osaka Blend with those around you and help spread the joy even further.

KURAWANKA blendができるまで 

ほろ苦さが勢いよく口の中に流れ込む！
大胆で積極的な大阪人のおもてなし精神がたっぷりのブレンド

A bittersweetness flows boldly into your mouth!
A blend overflowing with the bold and assertive hospitality of people of Osaka.

江戸時代、京都から淀川を下ってくる客船に、地元の農民たちが小舟で近づいてきます。「めしくらわんか！酒のまんかい！」相手が身分の高い武士でもお構いなし。河内訛りの荒々しい言葉で手づくりの鮨や餅、酒を売りこむ強気な接客が淀川の名物でした。いつでも自信たっぷりで、グイグイっと前のめりに歓迎するのが大阪人のスタイル！大阪の商店街に行けば、大阪人の気質が今も変わっていないことがすぐに感じられるはずですよ。

During the Edo period, local farmers would approach passenger boats coming down the Yodo River from Kyoto in their small boats. They would shout, "Do you want some food? How about some sake?" They were assertive in their sales, even if the customers were high-ranking samurai. These farmers would sell handmade sushi and mochi with their dialect, creating a unique experience on the Yodo River. This confident and forward approach is still  a hallmark of Osaka hospitality! A visit to the shopping streets of Osaka will quickly show you that this spirited attitude remains unchanged.

▪️ POINT

①遠慮しない。とにかく積極的

②びっくりするほど威勢がいい

③人の注意を引く機転

④ローカルの個性に誇りを持ち、それをいかす

①Bold and assertive

②Surprisingly powerful

③Attention-grabbing savvy

④Proudly local

全く異なる焙煎度にローストした3種の豆を、それぞれの個性を熟知したバランスでブレンド。ガツンと力強く、すこし攻撃的なほどのフレーバーも魅力の一つになっています。カップの中から「コーヒーくらわんか〜！」と元気な叫び声が聞こえてきそうです。

Three types of beans, each roasted to a completely different degree, are blended with a keen understanding of their individual characteristics. The result is a robust, almost aggressively flavorful coffee that is part of its charm. You can almost hear a cheerful shout from the cup: ‘Try our coffee!’