Jack Daniels Hi-ball

The American Jack Daniels brand whiskey is partnered with the Japanese brand Suntory and is available for purchase in almost any supermarket, convenience store or liquor store in Japan.

And now Jack Daniels Whiskey has begun selling canned High-ball cocktails.

If you buy a canned Jack Daniels High-ball by 2011 November 30, it will come with two 6-digit codes that can be used to enter a drawing for prizes via the “Jack Daniels Japan” website.

You can enter the drawing by 5:00PM (Japan time) on 2011 November 30.

300 people will win a set of two “Jack Daniels High-ball drinking glasses” and another 300 people will win a set of two “Jack Daniels mugs”.

Personally, I’d choose the mugs.  I like Jack Daniels and I like “High-balls”…so,  I may just buy a few cans of this drink and enter the drawing.

The sets of Jack Daniels glasses and mugs.

Sake

Many people outside of Japan call Japanese rice wine “Sake”…often mispronouncing the word as “sah-key“.

But actually 「酒」 (Sake) is pronounced as “sah-keh“, or more politely 「お酒」 (O-sake) and it’s the Japanese word for alcohol in general.

“Japanese rice wine” is called 「日本酒」 (“Nihon-shu”), literally “Japanese alcohol”.

日本酒

There are other Japanese traditional alcoholic drinks that aren’t as famous outside of Japan.

Do you know 「焼酎」 (Shou-chuu)?

焼酎

「焼酎」 (Shou-chuu) looks similar to 「日本酒」 (“Japanese rice wine”), but it has more alcohol per volume and a “harder” taste.
It’s usually brewed from potato.

Because of the high alcohol content and hard taste of 「焼酎」 (Shou-chuu), people usually mix it with water or fruit juice.

When it’s mixed with fruit juice, the drink is called 「酎ハイ」 (“Chuu-Hi“). The name comes from “Shou-chuu” + “High-ball” mixed drink.

Kirin Lemon Chu-Hi (6% alc) and Kirin Lemon Chu-Hi "Strong" (8% alc.)

Have you ever tried any of these drinks?

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.

To all the beers I’ve drunk before

I don’t claim to be a beer ソムリエ (sommelier), but I know what I like.

I’m gonna try and make a list here of as many of the different beers I’ve tried that I can remember. And I’m gonna try to rate them (with a rating scale of 1-3 stars (★ ～ ★★★). One star (★) being the lowest, and three (★★★) is the highest).

I also wrote the beer’s country of origin.

The star ratings are simply my personal opinion. Kirin Beer is my favorite. And I think any cold lager is good.

Just so you know where I’m coming from.

• Kirin Lager (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Classic Lager (★★★) – Japan

• Kirin Ichiban (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Strong Seven (★★★) – Japan

• Kirin Tanrei (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Tanei Double (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Tanrei Green Label (★) – Japan
• Kirin Nodogoshi (★★) – Japan
• Kirin Enjuku (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Koku-no-jikan (★★★) – Japan
• Kirin Aki-aji (★★) – Japan

• Budweiser (★★) – America
• Bud Ice (★★) – America
• Bud Dry (★★) – America

• Heineken (★★★) – Netherlands

• Guinness (★) – Ireland

• Hitachino Nest Beer (★★★) – Japan

• Asahi Super Dry (★★★) – Japan
• Asahi Hon-nama Draft (red can) (★★★) – Japan
• Asahi Hon-nama Aqua Blue (blue can) (★ ) – Japan
• Asahi Hon-nama Gold (gold can) (★★★) – Japan
• Asahi Cool Draft (★★★) – Japan

• Orion Draft (★★★) – Japan
• Orion Southern Star (★★★) – Japan

• Suntory The Premium Malts (★★★) – Japan
• Suntory Malts (★★★) – Japan
• Suntory MD Golden Dry (★★★) – Japan
• Suntory The Straight (★★★) – Japan
• Suntory Jyokki-nama (★★) – Japan
• Suntory Gold Brew (★★★) -Japan

• Carlsberg (★★★) – Denmark

• Beck’s (★★★) – Germany

• Yebisu Premium (★★★) – Japan
• Yebisu Premium Full Malt (★★★) – Japan

• Sapporo Draft One (★★) – Japan
• Sapporo Nama Kuro Label (★★★) – Japan

• Satan (★★★) – Belgium

• Singha (★★) – Thailand

• San Miguel (★) – Philipines

• Corona (★★★) – Mexico

• Samuel Adams (★★) – America

• Miller Genuine Draft (★★★) – America

• Kamakura Moon (★★) – Japan

• Coedo Ruri (★★★) – Japan
  

  "Coedo Beer" from Kawagoe (Koedo), Saitama, Japan

I may have tried others that I’ve forgotten. This is all that I can remember off the top of my head.

As you can probably tell by my ratings, I love beer…and I’m not real picky. But I’ve tried Guinness Beer and I didn’t think much of it. やっぱり、I like lager beer.

What do you think of my list? Have you tried any of these beers? Are your impressions different from mine?  What’s your favorite beer? How often do you have a beer? I have a couple with dinner everyday.