Beer or happoshu?
Posted on June 04, 2003
The glass says Ichiban Shibori, but my head this morning is saying no, no that was happoshu dude.
If you live in Japan and for some reason you never go to the bar, or the store or leave your appartment for that matter I'll explain the drink that is called happoshu. Happoshu or 'near beer' is not beer and if you look closely at a bottle or can of happoshu you never actually see the word "beer", you only see the term "brew". Due to a tax loophole in Japan Happoshu can be sold at a much cheaper price then beer. Happoshu skimps on malt and loads up on less esteemed ingredients, corn syrup, rice or sugar thereby qualifying for a much lower tax. If you're not sure what it was you had last night at the cheap izakaiya you will know after the headache and stomach pains hit.
Leave a comment.
Yum, happoshu.
::posted by: iM at June 5, 2003 10:06 PM
well, in april the gov't finally told the breweries they couldn't get a free ride anymore, and the tax on happoshu went up (not sure by how much, still not as much as for reg. beer). needless to say the breweries were not happy, nor is my wife. They buy me happoshu because it's a lot cheaper than actual beer, and well, I don't have much say around here (and now that my wife can't drink any alcohol, i have even less say!).
I have had the Kirin Ichiban that comes in a bottle/can (one of those types of cans that dries to approximate the draught beer taste/texture), and have to admit I find it fairly tasty.
::posted by: Kurt at June 9, 2003 03:06 AM
