If you've ever spent time in Japan and found yourself in the mood for a cheap drink, it's very likely you've heard the siren call of canned cocktails known as "chu-hai". Chu-hai is short for "shochu highball" (although many canned ones use a vodka base), and come in a variety of flavors that include grapefruit, pineapple, lychee, and even Japanese plum. Inexpensive and available in low calorie varieties, they offer a very convenient bang for your buck buzz, a Japanese White Claw if you will.

But if White Claw has a drunken and belligerent uncle, he would come in the form of "Strong Chu-hai", typically 9% alcohol version of canned chu-hais. Perhaps the most popular of these is Suntory's Strong Zero. A 500 ml tall boy of Strong Zero is equivalent to 3.75 shots of tequila, so extra caution is encouraged when knocking them back.

That or soaking it up with some delicious Japanese bar food, which is what the newest Strong Zero flavor is meant for. Suntory's new Salted Lemon Designed For Karaage is a canned cocktail specifically made to be paired with Japanese fried chicken.

Karaage, or Japanese-style fried chicken, is perhaps Japan's favorite bar food (although it's preparation is slightly different from standard fried chicken). Suntory says they've specifically formulated the drink's recipe with a double dose of lemon flavor that's made all the more refreshing thanks to the added salt, which also complements a crispy serving of karaage.

It also has a label that'll put you right in the mood for some karaage--maybe even the popular Final Fantasy flavor.

Both 250ml and 500ml sizes will go on sale throughout Japan starting November 26th.


By - Big Neko.