Spring-Limited Romantic "Beer" Special: The Tipsy Taste Under Cherry Blossoms!

Text & Photos /MATCHA

What you need for cherry blossom viewing in Japan isn’t a picnic mat or prepared food, but a bottle of Suntory, Kirin, Asahi, or other beers from supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan. In spring, when pink blossoms dominate, even mature beers take on a hint of pink. Now, let’s pick out the spring-limited brews that are essential for cherry blossom viewing!

Japanese products love to release limited-time editions to win over everyone’s wallets, and beer is no exception. What you need for cherry blossom viewing in Japan isn’t a picnic mat or prepared food, but bottle after bottle of beer. In spring, when pink blossoms dominate, even mature beers take on a hint of pink. Now, let’s pick out the spring-limited brews that are essential for cherry blossom viewing!

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Full of Excitement – The Sparkling Series

The sparkling series, which often uses seasonal specialty fruits, has also launched cherry and strawberry flavors for spring. With their sweet and sour taste and bubbly texture, they are recommended for women and those new to drinking.

1. Suntory -198°C Spring Strawberry/Cherry Flavor

The representative fruit of spring is “strawberries”! Made with strawberries from Ibaraki Prefecture, their signature sweet-and-sour flavor is smooth and easy to drink. With only 4% alcohol content, it’s like drinking strawberry juice with a hint of alcohol—perfect for women and strawberry lovers.

Alcohol content: 4% | 350ml | ¥141 (tax excluded)

When it comes to cherries in Japan, the most famous producing area is Yamagata Prefecture. This variety uses Yamagata-grown Sato Nishiki cherries, preserved in their full flavor using rapid-freeze technology. You can enjoy a faint cherry aroma while savoring their mildly sweet taste—this flavor is even sweeter than the spring strawberry one.

Alcohol content: 4% | 350ml | ¥141 (tax excluded)

2. Kirin Spring Applause

Unlike Suntory’s sweet-and-sour flavor, Kirin’s sparkling beer adds hops. Though it has the texture of a sparkling beverage, its aroma and taste are closer to beer, with a slight bitterness unique to beer. It completely contrasts with its pink bottle appearance, offering a more adult flavor.

Alcohol content: 5% | 350ml | ¥141 (tax excluded), also available in 500ml

3. Asahi Sakura Banquet Clear

Using hops, this Asahi brew emphasizes “Clear,” highlighting a refreshing, light drinking experience. As a spring-limited edition, it’s designed to complement seasonal spring ingredients, making it the perfect companion for enjoying spring cuisine.

Alcohol content: 5% | 350ml | ¥205 (tax excluded), also available in 500ml (pictured is 500ml)

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Bitter Aroma – The Beer Series

The serious, bitter beer section is seen as a mark of maturity, but actually, beer nowadays comes in diverse flavors, including lighter, more refreshing ones.

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