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Japanese Beer

What's your favorite Japanese beer?

  • Kirin

    Votes: 19 22.1%

  • Sapporo

    Votes: 11 12.8%

  • Sapporo Draft

    Votes: 7 8.1%

  • Asahi

    Votes: 6 7.0%

  • Asahi Super Dry

    Votes: 15 17.4%

  • Suntory

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Ebisu

    Votes: 9 10.5%

  • Other Japanese beer

    Votes: 7 8.1%

  • Not really a Japanese beer lover

    Votes: 3 3.5%

  • I don't like beer !

    Votes: 8 9.3%
  • Total voters
    86
Hi, beer lovers!

My report on the 2004 beer/happoshu sales ranking:
(1) Asahi Super Dry: 147.5 million cases
(2) Kirin Tanrei Nama (H): 54.59 million
(3) Kiriin Ichiban Shibori Nama: 40 million
(4) Kirin Lager: 36.56 million
(5) Asahi Honnama (H): 29.8 million
(6) Sapporo Black Label: 28.4 million
(7) Asahi Honnama Aqua Blue (H): 20.4 million
(8) Sapporo Draft One (3): 18.16 million
(9) Kirin Tanrei Green Label (H): 17.98 million
(10) Suntory Malts: 16.93 million
(H): Definition of happo-shu
(3): Article on Sapporo Draft One (Type 3 beer)

Orion Beer still in business in Okinawa: http://www.orionbeer.co.jp/english/index.htm

In our home, my husband votes for Asahi Super Dry.
My son votes for Samuel Adams.

PS The Sapporo website says that if the Japanese definitions of "beer" and "happo-shu" are applied in other countries, quite a few foreign beers will fall in the category of "happo-shu."
 
Kirin is it for me as far as Japanese beers go.
By the way, for those of you in Tokyo, check out the Asahi building in Sumida-ku across the river from Asakusa, where you can try a lot of beers that aren't so common in ordinary bars. As well as the Sky Room on the 21st floor, there's also a bar/brewery on the first floor where you can watch the beer brewing in the tanks while you get tanked.
 
I really can't enjoy Japanese beer, it just doesn't have enough flavor for me so instead.... I DRINK SAKE!!!

Seriously I love sake. I love it alot. I will pretty much never pass up an opportunity to drink some. I think my pallette must be slightly messed up but most hot sake tastes like chicken soup to me. Some people may go "eww" or "what?" at that, but I swear thats the flavor I get most the time. I'll drink it cold too but I much prefer it when its hot.

If I had to pick a Japanese beer that I would have with a meal, it would probably be Asahi super dry, so I agree with the OP's husband

One thing that really bugs me is that I have a hard time finding hard ciders in Japan. I've found a variety of fruit based alcoholic drinks but have yet to find an apple based one that I consider authentic. Last time I was in Japan I stayed for 8 months, but since it was my third trip there for work I stayed with a friend I made and we both experimented with fermenting our own hooch - all I can say is that some of the stuff we made was almost lethal :122:
 
RockLee said:
Mine's Jupiler !! Stella sucks big time *yuk* and Sapporo Beer ownes too (had it the first time last week)
Click to expand...

can you buy nihon beer in limburg?????

its been a while that i druk japanese beer... but i like it... KIRIN
 
although i suspect its quite a different beer in japan, but the kirin we get on draught here in the uk is not bad at all although its difficult to find a bar that stock it
 
like Mal i love sake!! be warned, you can get really drunk from too much warm sake. my favorite is Hakusan premium. its good warm or cold. my favorite beer is the big bottle of sapporo draft. aaayyyye its good. in the US sapporo is the only japanese beer imported from japan! i think molson brews asahi here, and kirin is made by budweiser!!! read the label(scary, i read beer labels)..............gomen
 
Dim Pete said:
Oh let me tell you that I LOVE Asahi Super Dry!

I like to sit for a few hours and eat soft-shell crap and a-la-carte sushi, whilst drinking a lot of this fine beer.
Click to expand...

For me, even Asahi Super-Dry couldn't mask taste of eating crap, soft shell or otherwise

Personally I go for Kirin Gold for drinking at home, and Yebisu in bottles when out.... sadly it seems not all places serve it though so fall back to Asahi or Kirin.
 
Well, I have tried a few Japanese beers since I last posted here--Sapporo and Kirin, as well as a Korean beer called Hite.

I'm actually beginning to develop a taste for beer--aparently it's only the american beers that suck.

Still though, I've yet to find a beer that surpasses the hot sake at Tsurugi's.

They sell it for $1,000 a bottle--but luckily you can get a heated container of it (about four sake cups worth) for around 4 bucks...

...that stuff is worth $1,000--it's like afterglow in a glass.

Although I have had better afterglows.
 
Does Japanese beer have as much carb as the regular beer you can buy in the states? If my memory serves me correctly, typical regular beer has 5 to 8 grams of carb per bottle (12 oz).
 
Sapporo and Asahi are 2 Japanese beer brands we purchase on regular basis,Michelob Ultra-Light is our favorite American beer.
 
ricecake said:
Sapporo and Asahi are 2 Japanese beer brands we purchase on regular basis,Michelob Ultra-Light is our favorite American beer.
Click to expand...

Try Kirin if you can, ricecake-san. All my friends say it's the best Japanese beer.But don't drink too much yo!
 
epigene said:
The US has great beer, too. These are what my beer-drinking son recommends:
Samuel Adams (Boston, MA)
Karl Strauss (San Diego, CA)
There must be some great microbreweries elsewhere, too!
Click to expand...
I'm sure the US has some fine beers. Unfortunately the big brands are like "sex on the beach". (Yeah Kyoko, I'll explain this one later in your thread ) I would love to try those brands out though. Hopefully I'll be visiting the US in a few years, so..
 
epigene said:
The US has great beer, too. These are what my beer-drinking son recommends:

Samuel Adams (Boston, MA)
Karl Strauss (San Diego, CA)

There must be some great microbreweries elsewhere, too!
Click to expand...
Did your son try Octoberfest from Sam Adams? It is very smooth and flavorful, goes well with a good sandwich for lunch.

There are so many good breweries in the US and many brewers who make their own beers; my husband and I make our own.

Kyoko_desu said:
Try Kirin if you can, ricecake-san. All my friends say it's the best Japanese beer.
Click to expand...
I'm with your friends, Kyoko. Kirin Ichibanshibori is really good Japanese beer.
 
Kyoko_desu said:
Try Kirin if you can, ricecake-san. All my friends say it's the best Japanese beer.
Click to expand...


I am reading votes of recommendation here on Kirin Beer,I will grab a 6-pack for try out on our next grocery shopping trip to Mitsuwa.
 
misa.j said:
Did your son try Octoberfest from Sam Adams? It is very smooth and flavorful, goes well with a good sandwich for lunch.
There are so many good breweries in the US and many brewers who make their own beers; my husband and I make our own.
Click to expand...

I'm sure he did, since he lived in Boston for over 5 years. He usually drinks Boston Lager and even buys them here in Japan, though it's very expensive. His room is decked with Sam Adams novelty goods.
He also discovered Karl Strauss at LAX airport when he wandered around craving to drink beer. Karl Strauss Amber Lager is very much like Sam Adams Boston Lager, just slightly lighter, probably to match the dry California air. He fell in love with that one since then.

Check out the beer at airports, guys!

I'm with your friends, Kyoko. Kirin Ichibanshibori is really good Japanese beer.
Click to expand...

My husband had been a fan of the old Kirin Lager since he started drinking. The brand was scrapped once but returned as Kirin Lager Classic, in response to strong appeal from the fans, but my husband says it's not the same thing. He thinks that's the reason why Kirin lost to Asahi in the beer sales category. ☝
Right now, he sticks to Asahi Super Dry and also drinks Asahi's "happoshu" beer (Blue brand).
 
I still believe Asahi Super Dry is the best tasting beer in Japan with Sapporo and Kirin a close second. Also the alcohol content of Asahi Super Dry is 5.5% vs about 4% for all other beers.

Here in the US the most popular beers like Bud, Coors, Miller, etc are basically water (to me) with Miller Lite having perhaps the most taste. It just goes to show what advertising and peer pressure will do.

I prefer Ice House Beer myself as it is the closest in taste to Asahi Super Dry. Also, the alcohol content is 5.5% vs 3.5 - 4% (2-3% at sporting events!) for the popular beers and it tastes like beer. More "bang" for the buck! If I can't get Ice House I drink Miller Lite. BTW Ice House is manufactured by Miller Brewing Co.

 
Last edited:
Although Asahi and Kirin are the leaders in popular beer brands, Sapporo boasts a large following for its more expensive "premium beers." We enjoy Sapporo Black Label and Yebisu Beer once in a while. My husband and my son agree on these beers:

Sapporo Breweries brands

Oh yes, and get the bottled ones--they taste much better than when canned!!
 
Anyone know of any good brew pubs in Tokyo?
 
ArmandV said:
Anyone know of any good brew pubs in Tokyo?
Click to expand...
I haven't visited any good brewpubs here in Japan, but I found recommendations here:
http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofeaturestoriesarchive299/289/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm

A famous spot is Ebisu Garden Place, a commercial/business complex built on the former Sapporo Beer brewery site. It's located a bit away from Ebisu Station on the JR Yamanote Line, but the distance is eased by moving walkways.

It also has a beer museum where you can get to taste various beers, a large beer pub, and an international beer pubhouse.
Ebisu Garden Place
 
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