although i think nobue is drinking heineken
i know she is smoking mild seven
I've heard Kirin is good and i've tried Asahi Super Dry. it's not bad. They're produced here under japanese supervision though as opposed to imported. so I don't know if you'd still consider them japanese beers
Kirin is pretty good, Asahi is ok, they're more of a chill beer than something to get drunk off.
I love Ebisu :D
Atom Movie: Japan Beer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO2MMvgU6_4
Amazing Japanese beer machine
I, ah, third the reccomendation of Kirin, >>2 is right; these are very "social" beers which seems to be true of most Japanese beer.
The only Japanese Been I've been exposed is Asahi and Sapporo
I find Japanese beers tend to taste fairly similar. They're almost all quite pleasant, but not that distinctive -- medium-low alcohol (4.5% to 5%), high-carbonation, mild lagers. Sapporo is my favorite of the big three, then Asahi, then Kirin. The Japanese supermarket near my house regularly has ridiculously cheap sales on these, so I drink a fair amount of them.
I also like Orion, which is the only Japanese beer I've seen sold where I live (West Coast, USA) that's actually brewed in Japan (Okinawa, specifically) and imported to the U.S. It's quite weak (ABV 4.7%), but has a distinctive flavor, and comes in large bottles.
Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin as sold in N. America are all brewed in the U.S. and Canada by Molson and Anheuser Busch (under license from the 'real' breweries, and according to their recipes, of course).
This may not relate to your Japanese brand beer wants, but try this out~
Sakebomb
You put the chopsticks on top and you line them all up
Then you put the sake in a shot then you place it on top
You slam your fists on the table and then it goes plop~
Things to note:
-Don't try at an American bar.
-Get It Smooth.
-Drink immediately after the shot goes in.
-Have fun!
>>10 why cant we do that in american bar ?
kirin and asahi, though its hard to get drunk with those...
Sopporo Draft is the best
Kirin Ichiban!!!
Asahi!
Soporro!!!
All good.
Asahi is Thai.
>>16 here. Also Sopporo is rarely brewed in Japan anymore. Most of it you find now is brewed by Sleeman's Brewery's, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Do Japanese people visiting the US find the beer tastes similar?
>>16
No it isn't. It's made by Asahi Bīru Kabushiki Gaisha, Japan's second largest brewery. The stuff sold in the U.S. is manufactured in Guelph, Ontario, I believe, or else in St. Louis, MO.
I lived in Thailand for many years, I don't think I had Asahi there more than once. Sapporo is more popular there, and that's mostly in Japanese restaurants.
Another hint is that Asahi is a Japanese word, meaning "dawn."
You might be thinking of Amarit, which is a Thai beer.
>>17
Also, Sapporo as served in Japan is actually brewed in Japan; it's just the variety for the North American market that's made in Canada.
>>18
You mean to the versions of Japanese beer they have at home? I suspect so--I've had both, and the taste is close enough. But as for whether American beers taste alike, I'd say they do, if they're talking about macrobrews--Miller, Budweiser, one of the big Canadians. Light, yellow, fizzy.
>>20
The stuff we get in Australia is from Canada too, which is interesting because Canada is so much further away than Japan.
>>23
That's what I think too. But perhaps the cost of producing it is lower in Canada so it comes out cheaper overall. Or perhaps the Japanese are just elitist and want to minimise the number of gaijin drinking their holy beers.
I have a 6 pack of Asahi right in front of me, and on the back it says PRODUCT OF THAILAND.
Speaking of outsourced beer, I just found out my Guinness is brewed in fucking Canada. What the fuck is that? And I'm Irish.
>>25
Are you in Southeast Asia, or somewhere close to Thailand? I can only assume that Asahi has contracted with Boon Rawd or another of the Thai brewers to produce their beer for Southeast Asian or other convenient markets, just as Kirin contracted with Anheuser-Busch to do their brewing for North America and Sapporo owns a plant in Guelph. The Asahi sold in the U.S. is brewed in Canada, and the company is without question headquartered in Tokyo.
I also know I've never seen a Thai person drink it, and I've consumed many thousands of beers in Thailand among Thais. Thai beers (owned by Thai companies) are much more popular there, along with a couple of international big names (Heineken's pretty big there, too, as is Tiger, of Singapore).
>>27
Oh, and I found it. Asahi does indeed work with Boon Rawd (Thailand's #1 brewery, makers of Singha, etc.) to produce Asahi Super Dry for the Southeast Asian market.
From the Asahi website, http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/english/products/global2.html:
Asia/Pacific
Super Dry has been steadily selling thanks to aggressive sales activities in Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong. In light of economic growth predictions for ASEAN countries, Asahi started producing Super Dry in Thailand in cooperation with the Boon Rawd Group. In addition, we set up a joint venture company, B&A Distribution Co., Ltd., in Thailand to take care of sales support activities for the region. Super Dry’s sales and marketing activities have also been deployed in Australia.
So are you in, or near, Thailand?
Canada, actually. Kinda strange they'd sell it from Thailand, when Japan is right next door. I can't see it saving any money to ship here.
>>29
Particularly when there's a perfectly good Asahi brewery in Ontario that ships to the U.S.. Crazy. But the Thai version is almost certainly cheaper than the Japanese version. Perhaps your store got a good deal on a container of it or something.
Maybe. In Canada, all liquor stores are owned and run by the government. Here in Ontario, the stores are called LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario), so perhaps they some how struck a deal with them.
Funny how the Sapporo they sell here, while Japanese, is brewed under license here by Sleeman's Breweries the next town over. Same deal with Guinness.
Oh well, as long as I can drink it.
Think this guy said it best about Asahi...
"I think Sherwin Williams and Gliddens have a potential lawsuit for copyright infringement. For those who don't get my subtlety, this tasted like paint. Not that I've ever tasted paint, but for those who know the smell, you can imagine what it might taste like. If you can't, try Asahi Super Dry, and that will clear up the mystery. This was awful. This may be a candidate for my Worst list. This came in a 2/3 L bottle, most of which I poured out. I have a greater respect for my taste buds than that. Many of you may pull the Anchor Rule: It travelled a great distance, give it a second try. Bull. Much like Foster's, it is brewed in Canada by Molson. And since Molson makes a pretty good product, I will have to say that it was Asahi's own crappy recipe that made this the crap that it is, not brewing methods, and certainly not distance. I am going out on a PC limb here, but I suggest they stick to electronics, cause this beer sucked. Bud is better."
I thought Asahi was quite good, but that being said I was drinking the real one, not the one made in Canada for the rest of the world.
Everything's relative though. And by that I mean that nothing is better than Guinness so I don't bother comparing things against that. ;-p
I really don't like Asahi so much.
The Hitachino Nest beers are absolutely great. But it's expensive and hard to find. XH is particularly weird and wonderful.
>>35
Yes indeed, these are very tasty, as are a couple of other Japanese micro/craft breweries. And I like the owl on the label. I like the Red Rice and the Sweet Stout, too, for flavors that suggest the company's original expertise as a sake brewery. But they're too expensive to be worth it, IMHO--where I am, little 11oz bottles are something like $5 apiece.
go to izakaya
I used LOVE Sapporo Reserve...drank it every morning before University...
Then after s stay in the ME I came back and bought a 500ml can...
It was not the same...
So I looked at the can...
F*#K me I was cheated by Canuk land and Jap Scrap!
Guinness brewed in canada, esp. the extra draught version is as good as Irish, and I've had both...of course bottled guinness vs. tap is like a fiat compared to a Porche...
Canuk land has one thing going for beer GRAIN, and lots of it...besides the Japs have to invest their dollars they accumulate to prop up the yen SOMEWHERE!