To the completely unprepared, a trip to the alcoholic section of any Japanese convenience store or supermarket can quickly turn into an overwhelming game of ‘What’s this? What’s that?’. With a selection of drinks large enough to fill at least two normal-sized Tokyo apartments, simply separating what you’ve already tried from what you haven’t is a feat within itself.

The majority of drinks here are beer or beer-like beverages, which for those with a sweet tooth, such as myself, don’t go down so well. What we prefer to look at in this section are the selection of chuhai, sours and horoyoi.
Though made up of a much smaller selection of drinks than that of the beers, this section of the alcohol shelf is constantly changing, with new drinks rolling in with the start of the next season.

With winter just around the corner, it’s almost time for a switch up on the shelves of your local konbini, and already way ahead of the game, Suntory have announced their upcoming lineup for the coldest season of the year.

Showing their faces on the block this December are Suntory’s Strawberry Condensed Milk Horoyoi and Yuzu Lemonade Sour.
The drinks will be available for a limited time only, so it’s best to make your move quickly once they’re on the shelves if you want to get your hands on a can or two before stocks run out.

Both of the drinks have an alcohol content of 3% and will be sold in 350ml cans decorated with designs inspired by wintery scenes and festive holidays. They will be released at convenience stores, supermarkets and other vendors nationwide from the 14th of December, for a suggested retail price of 141 yen.

Strawberry Condensed Milk Horoyoi (3% Alc)

The taste of sweet and sour strawberries and mellow condensed milk come together in this can full of nostalgic flavours.

Strawberry Condensed Milk Horoyoi (3% Alc)

This drink blends the refreshing aroma of yuzu with the sweet and sour taste of lemonade.