"Ice Cream Bar HOKKAIDO Milk Mura" is a famous sweets shop that has been loved in Susukino, Sapporo for about 30 years since it opened. The dessert, which is made by pouring alcoholic liqueur over specially made ice cream, is a taste for adults. We will introduce you to this one-of-a-kind shop where you can taste everything from sweet and light liqueurs to aged brandy and whiskey.

A building housing izakayas and snack bars in the heart of downtown Susukino. A bright and cheerful door on the sixth floor is the entrance to "Ice Cream Bar HOKKAIDO Milk Mura." It opens at 1pm. It's open until 11pm, and is crowded with students and groups of young women during the day. At night, the number of older customers increases, and it has an adult atmosphere with alcohol lovers who come after a drinking party.

The interior of the restaurant has a pop atmosphere, with colorful red and yellow lights and lamps and illuminations scattered everywhere. It's an exciting, separate world that's completely different from the outside. While it has the atmosphere of a casual bar, the lively space is reminiscent of Western pop culture, and no matter where you sit you'll feel like you're in a theme park.

Of course, you can also enjoy it at the counter seats.

The interior is decorated with art and lights, making it a fun place to be. The booth seats also have a nice secluded feel.

Master Soichi Iwamura

The owner, Soichi Iwamura, originally trained as a pastry chef in Paris and opened a cake shop after returning to Japan. At the same time, he had a dream of opening a shop where customers could enjoy liqueurs with ice cream that goes well with alcohol. After several years of researching homemade ice cream, he opened a shop that served ice cream and liqueur desserts. It has been a beloved Susukino shop for over 30 years.

Currently, there are only two sets on the menu, but you can choose your liqueur, so the combinations are endless. The "B Set" is recommended for beginners. It includes ice cream and three types of liqueur, and comes with coffee, for 2,000 yen (tax included). The "A Set" is only available until 9 p.m., and includes ice cream and two types of liqueur, as well as crepes, yogurt, quinoa, and rum and adzuki beans, for the same 2,000 yen (tax included). This time, I ordered the B Set.

A clear guide on how to enjoy ice cream and liqueur

There are about 130 kinds of liqueurs to choose from! They have everything from strong drinks like whiskey, brandy, gin, tequila, and rum to sweet liqueurs with low alcohol content. If you can't decide, just tell them your preference, such as sweet or dry, or alcohol content, and they will select a recommendation for you! Their proud homemade ice cream is made with Hokkaido milk from a designated farm, and is light and light, with less sugar but still taking advantage of the richness of the milk. The secret ingredient of citrus liqueurs makes it a taste you won't find anywhere else.

In addition to the three types of liqueur, a tea liqueur is also included as a bonus.

On this day, I chose sweet blackberry, 42-year-old Calvados (brandy), and 30-year-old Ballantine (whisky).

The ice cream and liqueur go perfectly together, and even though the alcohol is strong, the amount is small, so there is no tart alcohol feeling. Personally, I feel that the rich aroma and deep flavor of aged brandy or whiskey goes better with ice cream than sweet, light liqueurs. For those who like alcohol, we recommend the special drinks, which can be enjoyed for an additional fee. The brands change from time to time, but aged high-end brandy, scotch, bourbon, and other drinks can cost tens of thousands of yen per glass at a bar, so it might be a good idea to order them in a group.

The luxury brandy, Hennessy Richard, costs an additional 4,000 yen