Suntory's Sakuranbo Zero: A Better Mixer than a Proper Drink

I acquired this cheap little cherry chu-hi at the grocery store nearest my home last week as a quiet way to celebrate the coming season at my leisure at my house. Being that it is currently spring break for most of Japan and my kid still isn't fully vaccinated, we're spending a lot of time at home together which means I have no excuse for big drinking hanami parties inside or outside of the home.

    But one little drink does not a big party make, at least not for me. At three percent alcohol by volume, we're talking about a pretty weak specimen, all things considered. It also boasts a zero in its flavor name sakuranbozero, but I'm not sure what that zero was meant to convey as the beverage also has 50 calories per 100 millileters, making it more heavy in caloric intake than the same amount of most dark sodas including Dr Pepper and Coca Cola.

    Some how, despite the high calorie count, the drink still tastes soulless, with that hollow zero-calorie feeling. I am not sure how they accomplished that. I am usually wild about any cherry flavored beverage I can find when the season hits and they are on the shelves again, but this one was a little shy of the mark for me, at least when enjoyed by itself.

    I opted to use this instead as a mixer, adding about an ounce and a half of the pink bubbling liquid to a small glass, followed by a dash of Malibu coconut rum, a splash of Beefeater gin, and a drop or two of cherry syrup I bought on Amazon a few months ago when I was so desperate for a cherry coke that I figured out how to make something similar at home with ingredients I could actually get in Japan. Both the Malibu and gin were bought at the grocery store nearest my home but could also be found in many other stores in Japan.

    The resulting beverage was unmistakably better, with the sweetness of the cherry syrup bringing a touch of something rich to make up for the hollowness of the sakuranbozero while the coconut flavoring of the Malibu elevated the rest. In the end, I made this into something I could enjoy drinking, but it didn't start out that way and I don't know if I will bother to buy another one of these again if I'm not looking for a season mixer.