Asahi Cocktail Partner Fuwarich Refreshing Plum Wine Cocktail / アサヒカクテルパートナー フワリッチ すっきり梅酒のカクテル

Alcohol: 4% (14 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml can
Calories: 206.5 kcal
Sugar:  30.1 g
Price: MSRP 141 yen (104 at AEON)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/cocktailpartner/

So ironic that around springtime, tons of beer and chuuhai cans start putting cherry blossoms on the cans but don’t actually contain any cherry blossoms-flavored liquids inside. The plum wine (aka umeshu) cocktail from Asahi is another example of this trend, but I’ll at least give them credit for having a special springtime-flavored drink, as opposed to Kirin, which just puts flowers on their beer cans in a cynical attempt to increase sales without changing their recipe at all.

This limited edition (spring) cocktail is not made using vodka, but instead uses a base of plum wine, supported by natural plum and apple juice. As with all the Fuwarich drinks, there is some tasty pulp included in the can. Plum wine is often sickeningly sweet, but this drink – while high in sugar – avoids that pitfall and is quite good.

Asahi Sparx Shocking Grapefruit /アサヒ スパークス 刺激的なグレープフルーツ

Alcohol: 9% (31.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml can
Calories: 206.5 kcal
Sugar:  4.2 g
Price: MSRP 141 yen
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/sparx/
*Note this picture is for the 500 ml edition, but the nutritional information posted above is for the 350 ml version.

The grapefruit variety of Sparx seems much less popular than the lemon one; I only found the grapefruit at one 7-11 and now they don’t have it anymore. This tastes light, but its kick is intense and got me buzzed very, VERY quickly. I thought it tasted just as fine as the lemon version, so no real surprises her.

Asahi Sparx Shocking Lemon /アサヒ スパークス 刺激的なレモン

Alcohol: 9% (31.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml can
Calories: 206.5 kcal
Sugar:  4.2 g
Price: MSRP 141 yen
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/sparx/

Are you a wino? Do you long for high alcohol content, low calorie malt liquor but have been unable to find any? Do you want to get wasted fast, but can’t stomach shots of hard liquor? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Asahi has come out with the product for you. Sparx, is Asahi’s new line of chuuhai with 9% alcohol, the highest allowed alcohol content in Japan without moving the alcohol tax into the next bracket. Sparx is light and made from vodka, but its high alcohol packs a huge punch. I’m sure the tons of artificial sweetener added to the mix gives it a very sneaky flavor; it doesn’t taste much different from other lemon-based chuuhai. For Valentine’s Day, Asahi will be releasing a black currant and orange type, which I’m eager to try.

Asahi Cocktail Partner Fuwarich La France Cocktail / アサヒカクテルパートナー フワリッチ ラ・フランスのカクテル

Alcohol: 4% (14 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml can
Calories: 227.5 kcal
Sugar:  35.35 g
Price: MSRP 141 yen (104 at AEON)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/cocktailpartner/

Like the Apple & Wine before it, is sweet, even sweeter than its partner. La France is a type of pear (from France) and this chuuhai is made from its fruit juice and peach liquor. While not a diet drink by any stretch of the imagination, it is a cut above other canned chuuhai.

Asahi Cocktail Partner Fuwarich Apple & White Cocktail / アサヒカクテルパートナー フワリッチ アップル＆ワインのカクテル

Alcohol: 4% (14 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml can
Calories: 224 kcal
Sugar:  33.95 g
Price: MSRP 141 yen (104 at AEON)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/cocktailpartner/

This delightful, extremely sweet chuuhai is made from apple liquor and white wine. It has a strong apple smell and taste. Surprisingly, it does not use any vodka, unlike most chuuhai. There is a lot of sugar here, but there is also a lot of sugar in wine and liquors, so I can’t fault Asahi this time for not using artificial sweeteners. True to its name, this is a rich chuuhai. Recommended.

Asahi Slat Limited Edition Tangerine / アサヒすらっと期間限定みかん

Alcohol: 3% (10.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml
Sugar:  5.9g
Calories: 88 kcal
Price: MSRP 141 yen (108 yen at AEON)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/slat/

I neglected to post this one before the break, but another LE Slat flavor is tangerine (“mikan” in Japanese.) Now THIS really tastes like Sunkist Orange Soda with alcohol, but at only 3%, but very much of a kick. It is tangy and very sweet.

Asahi Slat Limited Edition Lemonade Sour / アサヒすらっと期間限定レモネードサワー

Alcohol: 3% (10.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml
Sugar:  6.3g
Calories: 88 kcal
Price: MSRP 141 yen (108 yen at AEON)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/slat/lemonade.html

Ah, my favorite-named chuuhai returns with a new limited edition. This cheap slat has the flavor of lemonade with a bit of honey. It’s light and crisp with a hint of sweetness. I approve.

Asahi Slat Refreshing Lemon /アサヒすらっとすっきりレモン

Alcohol: 3% (10.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml
Sugar:  6.65g
Calories: 88 kcal
Price: MSRP 141 yen (129 yen at Kakuyasu)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/slat/

Color me surprised, I finally liked the Lemon chuuhai more. This hot, yellow slat is so sweet and so good, ironically much better than the bitter grapefruit. If you suck on this slat you too will feel refreshed.

Asahi Slat Grapefuit /アサヒ すらっと グレープフルーツ

Alcohol: 3% (10.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml
Sugar:  7.7g
Calories: 88 kcal
Price: MSRP 141 yen (129 yen at Kakuyasu)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/slat/

The return of the slats! Some cosmic law must require all chuuhai to make lemon and grapefruit flavors, in that order, but this time I decided to be different and sample the grapefruit first (additionally, because I like grapefruit more than lemon). However, I found this slat merely okay. It’s not sweet enough to compensate for the sourness of the grapefuit. Asahi should have used more fake sugar here.

 

Asahi Premium Cocktail Partner Special Luxury Cocktail White Wine X Grapefruit / アサヒカクテルパートナー こだわりの贅沢カクテル 白ワインｘグレープフルーツ

Alcohol: 3% (10.5 ml)
Quantity: 350 ml bottle-shaped can
Calories: 168 kcal
Sugar: 24.15 g
Price: MSRP 189 yen (convenience store exclusive!)
Official Site: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/products/sour/cocktailpartner/

Asahi just put out this chuuhai just for the convenience stores. It comes in an aluminum can in the shape of a bottle. Going by the design on the cover, I chose to pour it into a champagne glass instead of my usual highball glass. The unusual shape of this chuuhai isn’t its only selling point – it boosts 40% grapefruit juice by volume. I should have realized the implications of that fact before I tasted the liquid; I was floored by the bitterness. Although there is a plenty of sugar present in this chuuhai, with 40% grapefruit juice the grapefruit completely overpowers every other taste. If you’re a lover of grapefruit juice this is easy to recommend, but I’ll be staying away. I quite enjoy grapefruit-flavored chuuhai, but I think I’ll stay clear of grapefruit chuuhai.