*Beer for Japanophiles* Much as the language and cultural differences terrify me, I love what I've seen of Japanese culture and am an even bigger fan and evangelist for Japanese cuisine. I love their ritualised approach to food, the way it's an integral part of life for many Japanese as opposed to an afterthought and the care that goes into preparation, presentation and the importance attached to nutrition. It will come as no surprise, then, that whenever I'm feeling flush and payday approaches I can normally be found meandering around the Japan Centre in Piccadilly in a good natured manner trying to decipher packaging like an awkward gaijin. ...  Read the complete review

First of all Kirin ?the premium Japanese lager? (or so it?s garish label informed us) is now brewed by the A-B Brewery in California. I think this immediately put my back up? I like my bottled alcohol to come from where it is supposed to come from. Bud?American Beer, Kirin ?.Japanese beer. This guarantees that the entire mystique, tradition, honours etc. that were heaped up it while it was a cornerstone of the Japanese brewing tradition are still being maintained. You cannot uproot tradition. /rant over : ) We bought a crate of 24 bottles for a small select gathering (ahem?) (£30 Sainburys) on the basis it was on offer, good value and well ?. ...  Read the complete review

I'm always on the look-out for new beers to try. My preferences lie in the myriad styles of the great beers of Belgium, most particularly Trappists and Abbey-style dubbels and tripels, but I'm a great believer that different occasions call for different beers. I don't really care for Japanese food but if I were to tackle a terriyaki, a Japanese beer would be the best companion to augment it. Wouldn't it? Of course you don't have to eat 'moules et frites' to appreciate the qualities of Belgian ale, so I think it should be gourmetically acceptable to quaff a beer or two from the 'Land of the Rising Sun' without scoffing some ...  Read the complete review

I've actually just opened a can of this wonderful stuff (at the time of initial drafting...), so I thought I'd write a little bit about it. Kirin is one of Japan's "big four" beer producers, the others being Suntory, Asahi and Yebisu, all of which are also excellent. Kirin actually means "giraffe" in Japanese. It comes in several varieties, including Classic, which is in the white and red can (seen in the picture) and "Ichi-ban" (No.1), which comes in a gold and beige can. They also have the quite wonderful "Aki" brew - "Aki" meaning "autumn", which comes in a beautiful red can with a maple leaf ...  Read the complete review

I recently had a bit of a disaster where by my supply of beer for the England v Andorra game escaped from my rucksack and smashed all over the floor. The only bottle left from my week's testing, was the small 0.33l bottle of "Japanese Premium Lager" called "Kirin". The label was somewhat conflicting because it said 5% on the actual bottle but 4.7% on a small label from an importer. In the build up to giving it a go, I'd heard some pretty poor reports about the dragon emblazoned bottled of Japanese booze. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover a very normal tasting lager with an exceptional blend of flavours that ...  Read the complete review