So Just What is Happoshu Anyway?
TweetThis question bugged me for quite a while when I first discovered that Japan has 3 categories of beer, and I don’t mean lager, beer, bitter, etc.
Japanese Happoshu
Thankfully, an article in the Daily Yomiuri yesterday cleared it up for me.
The reason Japan has 3 different categories of beer is essentially for tax reasons.
Regular beer which must contain at least 67% malt is taxed at the highest rate.
Happoshu (which means “Sparkling Spirits” 発泡酒 in Japanese) contains less than 25% malt and is therefore taxed at a lower rate (which obviously means it’s cheaper to the customers).
There is a Third-Category “beer” called 第三のビール (Daisan no Biru) which basically doesn’t have any malt and is made from “other” ingredients (I believe corn, peas, soy, etc), which has an even cheaper tax rate.
Partly due to the global economic crisis, sales of Happoshu and third-type have been increasing year on year in Japan and Japanese breweries are planning to increase theis sales to more than 30% of the total beer market for the first time this year.
White Kirin
Unfortunately, the Happoshu’s and particulary the Third-category “beverages” are not very tasty, and often have an unpleasant metallic taste to them.
The best one I’ve had is Shiro Kirin (White Kirin) from, obviously, Kirin. This one is made from Malt, Hops, Barley, Rice and Corn and is actually fairly drinkable.
The best Third-Category I’ve tried is Suntory Jokky Nama and despite being a huge 8% is actually quite light and for a Third-Category beer, fairly drinkable.
Each of the main breweries have announced new beerlike beverages for this year,
1000 from Kirin, which uses hard water, Strong Off from Asahi with 7% alcohol and 60% less carbohydrates, and finally Relax from Suntory, made from seven types of hops.
Although Sapporo don’t have a new drink in the pipeline, they are reducing the price of their
Draft One happoshu.
Related posts on MoIppai
Beer, Happoshu, Japan, Japanese Breweries, Third Category Beer | by MoIppai
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