No, this is not about that can! It’s about that cylindrical metal container, so familiar to beer lovers. The first beer can made its commercial debut about a hundred years ago, 1933 to be precise. One wonders whether there will be any events to commemorate this.
A number of years ago (1988 to be precise), I wrote an essay with the consonance-heavy title of “A Visit to MO: Can Clubbers Can Collect.”1 The “MO” in the title stands for “Missouri.” It was about a beer-can collecting club and their CANvention. I do not know whether they are still active, but if they are, perhaps now they are collecting another type of can as well, that which holds chūhai*. Chūhai is a canned cocktail, and in recent years those cans seem to be occupying more and more shelf space at convenience stores in Japan. I tasted one recently called “Kotoka,” and the sensory evaluation appears below.
This is a strawberry chūhai containing vodka. Pertaining to the fruit content, the inscription on the can reads: “Made entirely with Kotoka strawberries from Hagiwara Strawberry Farm.” Kotoka is a new, premium strawberry developed in Nara.
Sensory Evaluation: If Strawberry Shortcake were old enough to drink, there is no doubt that this would be her beverage of choice: strawberry on the nose and strawberry on the palate. The alcohol is barely perceptible. The carbonation is refreshing. The strawberry finish lasts long. Miscellaneous: There is definitely a cohort that will enjoy its low alcohol (3% ABV) and fruity characteristics. I believe this will sell well.
*Also, chu-hi.
1Nakamura, M., O’Connor, W.F., Off-Off-OFF Broadway: An Unconventional Look at America (Tokyo: Nan’un-do, 1988).
Drinking Japan 