Kirin raises sales target of alcohol-free 'Kirin Free' beer

Wednesday 07th October, 05:13 AM JST

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15 Comments

NuckinFutz at 08:01 AM JST - 7th October

I had a bottle last night and while I've said in the past that these beer-like beverages and no-alcohol beers probably taste a notch above horse piss, this one was actually pretty good. It allowed me to enjoy a beer with dinner and still drive home responsibly.
sharky1 at 08:33 AM JST - 7th October

Wonder if they are trying to target youth with "kiddie beer"???
kirakira25 at 10:31 AM JST - 7th October

I like this stuff! It has sustained this latest pregnancy very nicely!
bgaudry at 01:05 PM JST - 7th October

kirakira25- pregnant women really shouldn't be putting this artificial crap into their bodies. Please be careful!
bobbafett at 02:37 PM JST - 7th October

Kirin free is disgusting. Lowenbrau makes a very very good alcohol free beer.
sharky1 at 09:27 PM JST - 7th October

I can generate an alcohol free beverage every day that closely resembles beer...
presto345 at 09:58 PM JST - 7th October

Alcohol free beer is a myth. There is no such thing. The name is misleading. And 'Kirin Free' really is a dumb name. What does it mean? It does not contain any 'Kirin'? Is it a free product from Kirin? I would have expected a more inspiring name from this company.
Sarge at 10:09 PM JST - 7th October

Someone told me that stuff is tasteless. I'll take their word for it.
blvtzpk at 03:46 PM JST - 8th October

And why is non-alcohol beer more expensive than stuff like happoshu?

Anyone got a reasonable explanation? Is it to do with taxes?
taj at 11:22 AM JST - 9th October

Hmmm. I don't care for the Lowenbrau, but then I find their real beer a bit hoppier than my general preference. The Kirin-Free, while an important offering, is a bit too sweet for my tastes. Asahi 0.1 and Sapporo something or other, I can drink, but they are watery and more chemically than I'd like to drink, given more options.

I had read that Sapporo and Asahi had 100% alcohol free options ready to launch in Sept. and October but have yet to see them on any shelves. Has anyone else?
taj at 11:26 AM JST - 9th October

Blvtzpk, happoshu and non-alcoholic beers are aimed at different markets. happo and the 3rd category beer-like beverages are targeted at poor people who want to get drunk cheaply, regardless of taste. Alcohol-free beer is targeted at responsible people who like to drink beer, but shouldn't (weekday lunch, needing to drive, on medication, etc.).
helloklitty at 06:19 PM JST - 9th October

Kirin free - without Kirin? sounds like mcd's mistake of "smile free" on their menu
Ichiroll at 02:10 PM JST - 11th October

A person shouldnt drink real beer if they are looking for Non-alcoholic Beer and pretend to enjoy beer. it should be called Kirin Root beer, great for kids too!! .
SebastianFlyte at 11:45 AM JST - 13th October

It is not beer so why pay a premium beer price? Better off with soft drinks and stop kidding oneself.
blvtzpk at 04:45 PM JST - 13th October

taj: thank you, but that doesn't really answer my question. Because non-alcohol beer is targeted at responsible drinkers, why is it more expensive? Are 'responsible people who like to drink beer' willing to pay more for this beer-flavored soda? Maybe they are - you have to pay a pretty price to drink something that's not very tasty at all. I have to agree with SebastianFlyte on this oen.

I'm asking because low-alcohol beers in Australia are usually cheaper. I might be wrong about the reason, but I think there is an in-built suggestion with that pricing that you should drink less. I don't know if that pricing is encouraged by the government - but seeing drinking and driving is a crime here (while in Australia, as long as you're under 0.05% you're OK), wouldn't there be an incentive to make alcohol free beers more desirable through better pricing? Just wondering.