Asahi says cheers to cheap beer

Saturday 24th January, 04:27 AM JST

TOKYO —

Asahi Breweries Ltd said Friday it expected a sharp rise in sales of low-malt beer as recession-hit consumers drown their sorrows with cheap suds.

Japan taxes beer based on malt content, meaning lower prices at the cash register for low-malt beer or beer-like drinks made of beans, corn or other produce.

Asahi Breweries said it aims to sell over 30% more of its Style Free low-malt beer in 2009 compared with last year and over 40 percent more of its Clear Asahi, which is made with barley and spirits.

While expecting to sell more of such second-grade beer, Asahi forecast the sales of its flagship Asahi Super Dry will fall slightly by 2.2%.

“The company will strengthen the competitiveness of conventional brands, mainly Super Dry, while trying to expand the market by proposing innovative drink products,” the company said in a statement.

The company expects its total beer sales to grow by 0.8% this year from 2008.

Asahi also said it will expand its alcohol and non-alcohol businesses overseas, mainly in China and Australia.

Asahi last month announced plan to buy Schweppes Australia, the country’s second largest non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages business, from British confectionery maker Cadbury.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

gaijintraveller at 10:56 AM JST - 24th January

Disgruntled beer lover, the same could be said about most beer produced by large companies.
GW at 11:46 AM JST - 24th January

happoshu 99% is disgusting to my palette, magnum dry(one of the first ones) was passable & one other they probably dont even make anymore & I dont care now anyways.

Serveral yrs ago I needed cheese to make pizza on a summer evening & hoped on my bike to hit a few nearby conbinis for anything remotely cheese like, unsuccessful at my last stop I grabbed a can of the latest crap stuff that turned out didnt even have any malts in it & when I took a swig outside I gagged on the stuff, took one more half mouthful & then dumped it, when back & bought a MALTS to wash the taste out of my mouth.

SInce that day I swore off the happoshu & the only time I now drink that swill is if I visit friends & they pull the stuff out, I will sip one to be polite & pray for them to break out some wine or shochu or anything.

Unless yr destitute dont drink it, its probably poisonus as well, more so than the reg brews
Richard_the_First at 01:26 PM JST - 24th January

Draft One (if still in existence) is horrible.
Weasel at 02:27 PM JST - 24th January

Reads like its Ex-lax in a can.
benhur at 02:40 PM JST - 24th January

i dont even know what real beer tastes like right now.. lol
AlfGarnett at 05:03 PM JST - 24th January

If it aint got hops in, it aint beer, it is alcoholic drink and that.

From what people says these cheap beers aint up to much , and taste like muck. Strewth, glad i aint poor in Japan drinking that stuff innit!
sharky1 at 09:44 PM JST - 24th January

Q. What is Japan's favorite beer in a recession???

A. Whatever is on sale...
Eizenhauer at 11:45 PM JST - 24th January

Kirin Classic rocks :)
ChrisBiggins at 12:54 AM JST - 25th January

Yucki poohs!! Not for me thanks.

You get what you pay for. A very cheap beer is going to have horrid additives and other chemicals added to make the brewing process cheaper.

Do yourselves a favour, buy decent beer, or abstain!
yabits at 01:10 AM JST - 25th January

Do yourselves a favour, buy decent beer, or abstain!

One could also learn to craft beer themselves.
zaichik at 05:05 AM JST - 25th January

I used to drink happoshu when I was married to my miserly ex, but switched to real beer once I wasn't accountable to anyone for my expenditure.

There are some good beers here in NZ, and near beer doesn't exist - hoorah!
Maff at 12:59 PM JST - 25th January

Some of the newer ones aren't bad. I'd been drinking Suntory RICH MALT (kind of an ironic name) for a while and thought it was OK. And if you drink two cans every evening like I do, you save a lot of money. But I stopped buying it when I realized I was basically drinking whisky and soda. It just didn't feel right mentally.
Nessie at 01:11 PM JST - 25th January

I used to drink happoshu when I was married to my miserly ex,

Sounds like you needed something on the side, Zai. ;)
Yelnats at 03:58 PM JST - 26th January

I like the Asahi Blue cans, but it has to be really cold, or ese it tastes like something I cannot mention here. And I found a place that sells it for ¥150 That is a good deal.
ebisen at 10:00 AM JST - 27th January

benhur - come back when you're major ;) Otherwise, yes, don't drink that crap they call "cheap beer" - even paind I wouldn't drink it - and no, it's not beer. As far as I know, except water and CO2, those drinks contain no other ingredients found in real beer. On the other hand, I always enjoy a can or glass of Suntori Premium, or Kuro...