Beer and Happoshu

 

About

Beer was introduced to Japan in the late 1800s when American brewer William Copeland set up Japan’s first brewery in Yokohama. The brewery eventually became Kirin, now a major brewery in Japan, in 1907, with the help of investments from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu and Meidi-Ya. Today, there are four major breweries in Japan, (Kirin, Asahi, Suntory, and Sapporo) which churn out a wide variety of alcoholic beverages.

A standard-size can of beer is priced around 200 yen while the ones served at restaurants and izakaya are around 400 yen. In an izakaya, draft beer is usually served in a Jokki, a glass mug with sizes ranging from dai(big), chu(medium), and sho(small).

What is Happoshu(発泡酒)?

Happoshu is a beer-like beverage that has a malt content of less than 2/3(around 67%), whereas beer has a malt content of over 2/3. Happoshu is cheaper than beer due to Japan’s tax on alcohol; the higher the malt content, the higher the tax is. There is also a factor in the ingredients that are used; malt is considerably more expensive than the corn, soy beans, and starch which are used in happoshu. There is also a beer-like beverage called daisan-no-biiru which is even cheaper than happoshu.

Some young people and women actually prefer happoshu for its lighter taste. Many happoshu brands are marketed as a low-calorie, healthy alternative to beer.

The 5 Big Beers You Should Know

Premium Yebisu – While most Japanese beers may not be preferable to foreigners due to their light, pale taste, Yebisu is quite popular. Yebisu has a 100% malt content and has had a strong following among beer enthusiasts. It is considered an old-fashioned and traditional beer as it is not light like Asahi Super Dry.

Sapporo Nama Beer Kuro Label (Black Label) – From the northern lands of Hokkaido, Sapporo is a company that takes pride in selecting only the best ingredients for their product. However, this beer is the least famous beer of the 5 beers.

Kirin Lager Beer – This is the only beer that is not a nama(draft) beer of the 5 beers; it’s a lager beer. Although it’s not the company’s best selling product, it is one of their flagship beers.

Asahi Super Dry – This beer, introduced in 1987, became Japan’s most popular beer in 1996 after passing Kirin Lager Beer in monthly sales. Asahi Super Dry’s light and sharp taste has become a hit with the Japanese people and still defends its position as Japan’s No.1 beer.

Suntory The Premium Malt’s – Suntory is one of the newer companies and continues to introduce revolutionary tastes to the beer market. The Premium Malt’s pilsner beer has introduced a new genre of premium, high-end beers into the beer market.

So What Would You Recommend?

If you’re just looking to just get drunk, I would recommend happoshu. The best happoshu, I would say is Kinmugi(金麦).

But if you’re willing to spend more and have a decent tasting beer, buy the real “beers”. I would recommend Yebisu if you like the heavy German beers. I would also highly recommend Asahi Super Dry. It’s my personal favorite and goes well with Japanese food and the climate of Japan. (You know, you wouldn’t want to drink a Guinness in Japan, right?)