- 15 Mar 2002
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Happōshu (発泡酒), lit. "sparkling spirits," is the Japanese term for low-malt beer.
Happōshu is a tax category of Japanese liquor that most often refers to a beer-like beverage with less than 67% malt content. The alcoholic beverage is popular among consumers for having a lower tax than beverages that the nation's law classifies as "beer." Although the happoshu label is most frequently found on low-malt beer or beer-like products, alcopops that contain malt are also categorized as happoshu. Japan's alcohol tax system divides beer-like malt beverages into four categories based on malt content: 67% or higher, 50 to 67%, 25 to 50%, and less than 25%. An alcoholic beverage based on malt is classified as beer if the weight of malt extract exceeds 67% of the fermentable ingredients. Since Suntory's introduction in 1994 of Hop's Draft, containing 65% malt, a market has emerged for low-malt and, recently, non-malt beer substitutes.
Kanji: 発泡酒
Kana: はっぽうしゅ
Romaji: happoshu
Happōshu is a tax category of Japanese liquor that most often refers to a beer-like beverage with less than 67% malt content. The alcoholic beverage is popular among consumers for having a lower tax than beverages that the nation's law classifies as "beer." Although the happoshu label is most frequently found on low-malt beer or beer-like products, alcopops that contain malt are also categorized as happoshu. Japan's alcohol tax system divides beer-like malt beverages into four categories based on malt content: 67% or higher, 50 to 67%, 25 to 50%, and less than 25%. An alcoholic beverage based on malt is classified as beer if the weight of malt extract exceeds 67% of the fermentable ingredients. Since Suntory's introduction in 1994 of Hop's Draft, containing 65% malt, a market has emerged for low-malt and, recently, non-malt beer substitutes.
Kanji: 発泡酒
Kana: はっぽうしゅ
Romaji: happoshu