As even most casual visitors to Japan will have noticed, highballs are hot here, figuratively speaking that is. Some may be curious as to how this highball craze might be maintained. Well, Suntory seems to have come up with a variation on a theme that could not only sustain the lifespan of its popularity but even bring it into new territory—the Beer Ball, a highball made with beer. The slender bottle above contains a sweet and heavy brew with 16% abv before dilution with sparkling mineral water. In its undiluted state it is a full-bodied beverage that bears a striking resemblance to barley wine. In this state the color is tawny.
The little thingy attached to the neck is a cap intended to reseal the bottle in order to maintain the beer in an optimal state for future dilutions. Dilution procedures are as follows:
- add ¾ to ¼ glass of beer; and
- stir once!
This addition results in a lighter colored drink, close to amber, and a much shorter finish than that of the undiluted version. We prefer the latter, but we see the highball version as having great growth potential.
Drinking Japan 