Winter beer

Beer brewers in Japan are always offering special beers. One of the most common is season beers for spring, autumn, Cherry Blossom season, and starting at this time of year…winter beer.

Around this time last year, I bought Kirin’s winter beer…and today, I bought a case of Asahi 「冬の贈り物」 (“Winter Gift”) beer.

(Actually a 発泡酒 (low-malt liquor)...but tastes like lager beer to me)

Do beer brewers in your country sell “seasonal beers”? Do brewers outside of Japan sell 発泡酒 (low-malt liquor) that is similar in taste and appearance to lager beer…but cheaper?
Have you ever tried a Japanese 発泡酒 (low-malt liquor)? What do you think of them?

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.

Suntory

7-11 Japan and the department store chain that owns it, 「イトーヨーカドー」 (Ito-Yokado) are selling Suntory 「ゴールド・ブルー」 (“Gold Brew“) 発泡酒 (low-malt beer) for only ¥100 (about US$1.00) per 350ml can.

So I bought a case of them from 「イトーヨーカドー」 (Ito-Yokado). ¥100 / can X 24 cans = ¥2,400 (about US$24). A pretty good price, and the beer tastes good too!
350ml cans are a bit small though…I usually buy a case of the 500ml “tall boys”.

I know Suntory is a beverage company that makes beer, whiskey and some soft drinks…but did you know that they own Pepsi Japan and Gatorade Japan too?

Gatorade Sports Drink is originally a Florida* company? (*I grew up in Florida, USA).

Gatorade was created by the University Of Florida. Initially it was created for the University of Florida‘s football team…the “Gators“. Hence the name, “Gatorade“.

The only reason I know this is because my sister graduated from the University of Florida.

I wonder if other U.S. college football teams drink Gatorade and if they know it’s a “Florida Gators” drink?

In Japan, beer brewers release seasonal beers…ie: brews for the Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Winter.
On August 25, Suntory will begin selling their 2009 Autumn beer, called 「秋生」 (“Autumn Draft“).
It contains 6.5% alcohol.

Vodka and cola

I mentioned my preference for beer over cola on an earlier post (Click here to read it).

But on 七月八日 ((2009) July 8), Kirin (the Japanese beverage company most famous for their line of beers) will begin selling 「コーラショック」 (“Cola Shock”).

キリン「コーラショック」 (Kirin "Cola Shock")

It’s a canned cola and vodka cocktail.

The ad says that it’s a 発泡酒 (Low-malt alcoholic beverage) that contains アルコール分５％ (5% alcohol).

As I mentioned before, I don’t drink cola often…but this is one kind I’d like! 😉