Alcohol-free Kirin beer

Kirin Brewery Company will introduce an alcohol-free beer, “Kirin Free,” from April. The new beer includes no alcohol but does have a beer taste. The company says the new product is the world’s first “alcohol 0.00%” beer-taste drink.

External Link:http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Additional Information:

Kirin Free, Kirin Brewery Corp.
Expected price is 148 yen
Available from April 8, 2009

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Latest 15 of 29 Total Comments Show All

unscrejects at 05:44 PM JST - 21st February

"includes no alcohol", what is that supposed to mean? It's an oxymoron.
Sarge at 07:28 PM JST - 21st February

"alcohol-free beer"

What's the point?

For the same price I can enjoy a Kirin Double Tanrei or better yet, a refreshing Asahi Ginger Draft, both of which have 5.5% alcohol.
presto345 at 09:44 PM JST - 21st February

Kirin Free? So Kirin = alcohol? I am confused. Anyway, alcohol free beer is not beer. The word beer must not be used for an alcohol free beverage. I feel it's illegal.
JohnBecker at 01:13 AM JST - 22nd February

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" ---Benjamin Franklin
zaichik at 05:26 AM JST - 22nd February

Russia's Baltica 0 non-alcohol actually tastes like beer.

Haven't seen that, but I do like Baltika's alcoholic beers....

The best near-beer I've ever had was Kaliber, bottled by Guinness. It's hard to find though, and I've never seen it in Japan.

I think I've seen it here in NZ.
GW at 12:18 PM JST - 22nd February

spudman,

Holsten, that was the other one I was thinking about, a good choice.

And to those of you who sneer well I dont care, sometimes after some yardwork in the summer these taste great & then I can still jump in the car & go do something with my day, if I hit the real stuff then you end up vegging & wasting a lot of time, hey I love to do that as much as the next day but lots if times I got other things to do & having a couple beers wud then rule that out.

Besides I have lots of time in the evening for the real stuff, AFTER I have got everything I need done, done! And thats when beer tastes the best!!
Samuraiiki at 12:57 PM JST - 22nd February

Malta Goya has been around for decades.
Xeno23 at 02:43 PM JST - 22nd February

I like beer; I like getting nicely lit up too, but sometimes I want beer with my meal, say lunch during the work week, and don't want to get lit up. The beer flavor goes well with so much, and it's a real thirst quencher. I actually find it annoying getting a little drunk sometimes.

Like Beelzebub says, Kaliber is very good - frequently rated best. St. Pauli NA is good too, as is Clausthaler. Most of the others are on the weak side.

Most NA marketed beer is actually around 0.5%, so it's not really alcohol free. In the US you still need to be over minority buy it, 18 - 21 depending. And in California, you can't buy it after 2 AM.
mikekchar at 05:48 PM JST - 22nd February

I have to agree with some of the points above. I like near beer mainly because I like the taste of hops. Sometimes I want to ride my bike or study, so it's a good idea for those occasions. However, mixing it 50-50 with ginger ale also makes a really nice drink. It's very similar in taste to a real ginger ale shandy.

Most of the near beer here in Japan isn't that great IMHO, but there's a fairly decent one called Hoppy. I've had the Holsten near bear and it's by far my favorite (haven't seen it here, though). I'll look forward to trying the Kirin. I wish someone would make a near beer with British hops sometime, though... I think fuggles hops would make a really nice near beer.
Nessie at 08:01 PM JST - 22nd February

I only drink Kirin-free beer.
rurika at 03:57 AM JST - 23rd February

I'd rather have a soft drink. What's the point of beer without alcohol?
bdaniel08 at 08:04 AM JST - 23rd February

Whats the point ?

Try to drink a soft drink with "sashimi" !

its awful, for my taste anyway ! ...so i drink Premium Prime Select, 98 yens with 0.7% alcohol.
soothsayer at 05:05 AM JST - 24th February

"includes no alcohol", what is that supposed to mean? It's an oxymoron.

It means that the writer didn't understand the mistake and didn't bother to have it checked by a thoughtful native speaker.

HOLSTEN manufactured by Carlsberg in making the claim "the world’s first “alcohol 0.00%” beer-taste drink."

Carlsberg uses Japanese advertisers with schoolboy English? Fascinating.
nisegaijin at 12:26 PM JST - 24th February

had to stick to something similar from Europe during my beach trips (designated driver). the guy who sold those to me said he felt sorry for me cuz i had drink this rubbish. i felt sorry for myself as well.
ultradodgy at 03:05 PM JST - 26th February

Next up, meatless meatballs.