The Asahi “Pepsi” Challenge

A couple of months ago I was the lucky recipient (along with 1.5 million other people in Japan) of this in the post…

An Asahi Beer “Pepsi” Challenge Kit. Well, actually it’s an Asahi Happoshu Taste challenge as it’s to mark the release of Asahi’s new Cool Draft Happoshu.

In the box there’s a can of the Cool Draft, two plastic cups, a score sheet and a hilariously stereotypical instruction sheet which explains that the “wife” is supposed to fill the two cups, one with Asahi Cool Draft and the other with the “husbands” favourite beer behind his back so it’s a blind taste.

I love the overalls she’s wearing.

So, dutifully, we followed the instructions and my wife poured the two cups for me and we went through the questionnaire.

 

The questions were about the taste, feel in the mouth, bitterness, smell, etc etc and the Cool Draft scored quite highly to be honest, which I was a bit surprised about.

I think we challenged it against the Yutaka Happoshu which was in our fridge at the time (not a great happoshu that one).

It was only when we got to the end of the survey that we realised we were actually supposed to put it up against my favourite beer! (Which would have been the Kirin Lager Beer and the Cool Draft would not have done so well against that one!).

Any road up, we finished the survey and sent it back (I think there was some prize draw or something). Haven’t heard anything since though.

Speaking of Asahi, they’re a huge corporation with their fingers in many pies, not just beer, but soft drinks, food and even newspapers.

My wife has just renewed her yearly subscription to the Asahi Shinbun (Asahi Newspaper) and a crate of beer is winging it’s way towards me as a way of thanks.

Nice.

Related posts:

• Asahi New Years Lucky Bags
• Kirin Overtakes Asahi in 2009
• Old Japanese Kirin and Asahi Posters
• Japan Beer Sales Down But Kirin On Top