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Blue Label beer

19 Comments

Blue Label, Asahi Breweries' newest "happoshu" (a low-malt drink with the taste of beer), cuts calories and conjures up images of summer, sun and fun at the beach. With 0% sugar, it is also good for those on a diet. The new 4% alcohol product uses German hops, famous for their pleasant fragrance. Asahi plans to sell 4 million cases (20 bottles per case) in a year. Approximate price per 350 ml can is 140 yen, and 200 yen for a 500ml can.

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19 Comments
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(a low-malt drink with the taste of beer)

Oh, that's debatable. Most happoshu doesn't taste anything like beer.

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Great pic. This is how all beer companies should advertise their beer. have a woman hold 2 cans/bottles, and that's it. A few months back (maybe they still are doing) some beer company had Arashi advertising it.......Big mistake.

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This is just ridiculous. There are X number of micro breweries doing good business using all the normal ingredients in normal portions. What the hell is wrong with Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin and Suntory?

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I like the fake beers. Tasty when cold.

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If it wasn't for the writing, it would looks like a can of coffee.

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Jeffrey:

The taxes on happoshu are much less, means they can be sold for a lower price and still make a profit. This makes them popular with frugal consumers, ensuring high sales. In short, the ridiculous tax laws that establish malt content as the determinant for beer rather than alcohol level hurts the competitiveness of those who make "real" beer.

Sucks, but that's the way it is.

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Once I discovered Belgian ales there was no going back to that carbonated yellow stuff.

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Sarge? I need your opinion on this one, yes or no?

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Doesn't Pabst make a synonymous brew?

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No No No No... stay away from it and better drink mineral water...

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Love, I checked 7-11, Family Mart, am-pm, Lawson, two supermarkets and a sakayasan, and nobody has it yet. The sakayasan told me the Tohoku quake/tsunami has delayed shipments.

Smorkian: "Most happoshu doesn't taste anything like beer"

You are confusing happoshu with all these new-fangled dai-san ( 3rd category ) drinks.

ebisen: "Better drink mineral water"

Pay approx the same price for water with a bunch of impurities in it? And no alcohol kick? No thanks.

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Love, I checked 7-11, Family Mart, am-pm, Lawson, two supermarkets and a sakayasan, and nobody has it yet.

The lengthe of trouble and effort which an alcohol loving man is ready to endure! it is gone, Sarge, a proof of its popularity. You have to wait until the next shipment.

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Love, I checked 7-11, Family Mart, am-pm, Lawson, two supermarkets and a sakayasan, and nobody has it yet.

Oy!!! Now people are stocking up on happoshu! those bastards!

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I'll take the girl but stick to real beer. Happoshu isn't good for much of anything, IMHO. But sarge is right: If you're going to pay for water you may as well drink happoshu.

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It's all different, a quality one from Asahi could be better than a cheap, mass-produced beer. Also, happoshu is light so it's easy to drink like lemonade, whereas a dark Irish beer for example could be too heavy and bitter for some people's taste.

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Doesn't Pabst make a synonymous brew?

I'm pretty sure a lot of the light beers America turns out would be classed as happoshu.

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She looks a little tipsy in the photo

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Daiei has been selling its own private brand of Korean happoshu for about 90 yen a can. It was pretty terrible, but I don't think people drink happoshu for the flavor anyway.

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I am with Hokkaidoguy many overseas beers could be classed as "Happoshu" too. Personally I prefer Pilsner type beers, never liked the ales like Guinness, etc.

My local Aeon owned Super has 2 in-house brands of happoshu that got a decent flavour and decent prices(138Yen per 500ml or 125Yen per 500ml).

As for the people that like that pic, I prefer the older beer posters you can see in old-style restaurants.

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