I had plenty of time, so I decided to walk through the snow towards the liquor store "Baba Shoten" on the opposite side of the station. It was a leisurely walk with the hope of finding Domaine Takahiko wines. The liquor store had an amazing selection of Hokkaido wines, and it seemed like they were really aiming to revitalize the town with wine. The variety from Hirakawa Winery was particularly impressive, and in the end, I bought 3 bottles of wine here. I also had some whisky in my backpack, so I asked them to deliver everything to my home. It was nice to lighten the load a bit.

There was no soft serve ice cream at the Sanchu Farm, so I decided to look around. They had a good selection of craft beers from various regions. I heard that you can only buy wine from a certain winery in Yoichi here. They also had "Junmai Ginjo Genshu Sake Chugokoro" made in collaboration with local rice farmers from Kutchan Agricultural High School and Niseko Sake Brewery. It has won some kind of award and there are only a few bottles left. I bought it as a souvenir. I will add my thoughts later. If you like alcohol, this is a shop worth visiting!!

On March 1, 2019 (Fri) during the 3rd day of my winter trip to Hokkaido, I visited "Domaine Takahiko", a winery that does not directly sell its wines but is available through selected retailers. One such retailer in Yoichi town was "Baba Shoten", the only store in town that carried their wines. When I arrived at the store, I found out that the "Domaine Takahiko" wines were already sold out due to limited stock, which was a bit disappointing considering it was the only store in town offering them. However, the owner recommended a white wine called "Tsuki wo Matsu 2017" from Coco Farm Winery in Tochigi Prefecture, made using grapes grown in Yoichi. It was a full-bodied white wine made from Kerner grapes, with a crisp and dry flavor that paired well with seafood dishes. Despite the initial disappointment, the experience of choosing and enjoying this new wine with the store owner turned out to be delightful.

You can purchase wine that is only available locally.

It may be surprisingly well known, but not really known, that this bar is a soft drink shop. I thought I had to buy alcohol, but the cup soft drinks are a staple here. The milky taste of Yamanaka Ranch milk has a rich yet refreshing finish. Even in the scorching heat of midsummer, it goes down smoothly. Actually, shaved ice or sorbet would be a good match, but I tend to get headaches or upset stomachs, probably from overeating haha. Thank you for the meal.

On July 8, 2016, after enjoying a delicious flounder fry set meal in the neighborhood, I headed to this liquor store. I had previously come here to buy sake. This store is a retailer of "Hokuto Zuiso" produced by Kobayashi Shuzo in Kurayama. Back when I didn't know much about sake, the only Hokkaido sake that I thought was delicious was "Hokuto Zuiso," so I did some research and came here to buy it. But this time, my goal was not sake, but soft serve ice cream! Yes, following Kabochan, it's the dessert after the meal (laughs). They have been offering soft serve ice cream from "Yamanaka Farm" in Akaike for quite some time. I think the price was around 250 yen! Sorry, I forgot, but I'm sure it was under 300 yen (^_^;) So, the cost-performance ratio is good, and I should receive a comment from Ojiki in Abashiri saying, "It's cheap and good here!" Yamanaka's soft serve ice cream is popular for its flavor that emphasizes the taste of milk. It's not creamy, but it has excellent refreshing taste. Personally, I prefer "Yamakawa Bokujo" in Dounan, but it's all a matter of preference, and it's excellent as a soft serve ice cream that you can eat for under 300 yen these days! I think it's well-known among locals, but I wanted people who don't know about it to know that they can eat it here without having to go all the way to Akaike. Oh, I also recommend it to sake lovers!

In Yoichi Town, after enjoying soup curry, on the way back to Otaru, I found a soft serve ice cream display. A soft serve ice cream shop here? Wait, was there a soft serve ice cream shop here? I made a U-turn to check out the shop. The shop's name is "LIQUORS Baba," a liquor store. There was a sign on the window saying "Yamanaka Farm Soft Serve Ice Cream." You can enjoy Yamanaka Farm's soft serve ice cream here, not just in Akai River Village or Otaru. I love Yamanaka Farm's milk soft serve, so I took a bite here. Inside the liquor store, there is a proper soft serve ice cream machine and a Nissei cone stand. You can choose between a cone and a cup, but I rejected the cup because it has "trendy" cornflakes in it. I went for the cone soft serve. Compared to the one in Otaru, it seemed to have a higher milk fat content. The fat particles were big, and it felt rich. Even though it's from the same Yamanaka Farm, the type is different. It's surprising to be able to enjoy soft serve ice cream here. Thank you for the treat. I wonder if there is such a thing as sake-flavored soft serve ice cream?

Welcome! ┌¬o＊　＊　＊　2014.07 ↓ I was taken to a local liquor store in Yochi Town, Yochi District, where I only know a small part of it. This is the beginning of a series about places like this and stores like this. The store is called "Rika Baba," but it's not "Rika Ba Ba," it's actually run by Mr. Baba, known as Baba Shoten. As a liquor store, you need alcohol to do business, but here you can do business even without alcohol. Behind the frozen soft-serve ice cream case next to the entrance, there is... (^o^)! They are trying to put the soft serve in a cup instead of a cone. Oh, what a cool idea! (｀･△･´) I'll have one, please! The soft serve ice cream here is made with fresh milk and has a milky taste. You can eat it in many places, but who would have thought you could enjoy it with alcohol around. And Mr. and Mrs. Baba, they were watching us eat the whole time, of course. And they have a kind heart to collect the trash. Not many people are like that. I am very grateful to Ei-san for choosing this place. Finito~♪o(^o^)o Thank you very much!