Asahi Gold

Today we went to a neighborhood festival that we usually go to every year.

While we were there, I went to buy a beer…and I found a retro style can of beer by Asahi Beer, so I bought a can.

Asahi Gold 50 year anniversary re-issue

It’s a re-issue of their “Asahi Gold Beer” in a can that looks like it did when that beer was sold in Japan fifty years ago.

Asahi Beer is selling this beer for a limited time only in the special retro design cans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Asahi Gold beer and also the 120th anniversary of Asahi breweries itself.

The original Asahi Gold beer that went on sale in 1958 in Japan was sold in cans without any tab on the top of the cans! A can opener was needed to punch two holes in the top of the can to drink the beer!

1950's can of Asahi Gold Beer with no tab on top.

This was also Asahi Beer‘s first beer sold in a can (rather than a glass bottle).

Of course, the cans of this beer being sold today have the easy-to-open tabs on top.

This is a good beer. I recommend buying some while they’re available.

I have a collection of unique beer bottles and cans…I’ve added this one to my collection!

麦搾り

Last Tuesday, Asahi Beer released a new beer (actually a 発泡酒 (Happoushu*)) called 「麦絞り」 (which translates to something like “Extract Of Wheat”).

* (発泡酒 (Happoushu) is similar to Malt Liquor. It looks like beer and tastes nearly identical to lager beer. Some people don’t like them…but, just as with regular beer, some taste better than others.
I think most of them taste exactly like beer.
The best thing about 発泡酒 (Happoushu) is that in Japan there is a high beer tax…but since 発泡酒 (Happoushu) isn’t technically a beer, there is no beer tax on them. So a 500ml can of 発泡酒 (Happoushu) is often cheaper than a 350ml can of beer!)

It says on the can 「アルコール分ちょっと高め」…which means “The alcohol is a little bit higher”.
And it’s listed as “between 5.5 – 6.5% alcohol”.

So, I bought this beer and drank it with dinner last night.
It was good. I recommend it.