Reminiscent of cider

Hyoketsu "Farmer's Taste" Naganosan Fujiringo

Brand: Kirin

Price: 150 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

Kirin's Hyoketsu brand of ready-to-drink shochu highballs are widely varied and the beverage company comes out with regional, limited-time drinks with different alcohol volumes. In the summer of 2024, exclusive to 7 & I shops, you can find this Nagano Fujiringo flavored version with 5% alcohol. Kirin's Hyoketsu process freezes the fruit before transport and extracts the juice in production. This is supposed to preserve the flavor. This is a not too boozy drink with a lovely apple aroma and juicy apple flavor.

For a refreshing apple-flavored chuhai, this is pretty good. It has a crisp apple flavor and is priced the same as other similar drinks. It's also 5% alcohol, about the same as standard beer offerings.z I'm a big fan of apple cider, a popular summer treat in other countries, but not widely produced in Japan. Delicious apple cider is usually a specialty thing, akin to craft liqueur. The price point is higher than the widely-marketed chuhais and beers. Farmer's Taste reminds me of those fruity drinks, but has none of the depth. Still, it's cheap and pleasant.