Happoshu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Happoshu (発泡酒 happōshu lit. "sparkling spirits"), or low-malt beer, is a Japanese beer-like beverage with less than 67% malt content. The alcoholic beverage is popular among consumers for having a lower tax than beverages that the nation's law classifies as "beer."
Japan's alcohol tax system divides beer-like malt beverages into four categories based on malt content: 67% or higher, 50 to 67%, 25 to 50%, and less than 25%. An alcoholic beverage based on malt is classified as beer if the weight of malt extract exceeds 67% of the fermentable ingredients. Since Suntory's introduction in 1994 of Hop's Draft, containing 65% malt, a market has emerged for low-malt, and recently, non-malt beer substitutes.
With alcohol tax revenues decreasing as a result of happoshu's popularity, the Japanese government eventually raised the nation's tax on low malt beers. In 1996, the tax for products containing 50 to 67% malt was raised to that of beer. Brewers followed suit by lowering the malt content of their products. Today, most happoshu contains less than 25% malt, putting it in the lowest tax category of low-malt beer. In recent years, Japanese brewers have released dozens of brands in attempt to increase their market share. Many of these are marketed as more healthy products, with reduced carbohydrates and purines. Another trend is to use unmalted barley, such as in Sapporo's Mugi 100% Nama-shibori.
Recently beer-flavored beverages collectively dubbed "the third beer" by the mass media have been developed to compete with happoshu. These alcoholic products fall under categories not yet as highly taxed. The third beer beverages either use malt alternatives, or they are a mix of happoshu and another type of alcohol. When comparing 350 ml cans, the third beer brands can be 10 to 25 yen cheaper than happoshu.
The reduced cost of low-malt beer-like beverages is not without a balancing downside. In addition to a different - and arguably less appealing - flavor, inbibing low-malt, high-adjunct beers in equal quantity is more likely to produce a terrible hangover. One can assume that this is due to increased levels of fusel alcohol produced during the fermentation process for reduced-malt products.
[edit] Brands
- Happoshu with less than 25% malt content:
- Goku-nama (Kirin) and the dark version, Nama-kuro
- Hokkaido Nama-shibori (Sapporo), also a 100% barley version
- Hon-nama (Asahi), available in Red, Green, Gold and Aqua Blue label versions
- Jun-nama (Suntory)
- Magnum Dry (Suntory)
- Sparks (Asahi)
- Tanrei-nama (Kirin), also available in Green Label (low-carb), and Tanrei Alpha (reduced purines)
- Third beers classified as "Other miscellaneous (2)", containing no malt:
- Third beers classified as "Liqueur":
- Super Blue (Suntory) - happoshu mixed with wheat spirits
* "Dry beer" refers to beers with less residual sugars and a dry taste. "Nama beer" generally refers to draught beer served from a pressurized keg. However, in the above brands, it is merely a marketing term; compare to Miller Genuine Draft.
