Asahi Unveiled: Exploring Beyond the Brew with Snacks and Sodas
Explore the wide array of products offered by Asahi Group Holdings, from their renowned beers to their non-alcoholic beverages. In this post, we'll delve into Asahi's impact both in Japan and globally, revealing the full scope of their influence.
Discovering Asahi Beyond Beer
Asahi Group Holdings, fondly known as simply ”Asahi,” is Japan’s largest beer brewer. Headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo, the company controls more than a third of the national beer market and is currently unmatched by any of the other beer breweries in Japan, like Kirin Beer and Suntory. You can’t find a bar in the country that does not stock popular Asahi products such as Asahi Super Dry, Asahi Gold, and Asahi Draft.
Although the company has gained domestic and international fame for its alcoholic beer, it’s a multifaceted brand and produces non-alcoholic beer as well as other types of alcohol. It also produces soft drinks and snacks. Asahi’s reach extends well beyond the Japanese market. It has operations in Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania, exporting 34 different brands to 90 countries. Outside of Japan, Asahi is most popular in Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Poland. There are five main global brands under the umbrella of Asahi Group Holdings: Asahi “”Super Dry,” Peroni, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell, and Grolsch.
Asahi’s Journey from Brewery to Diverse Beverages
Asahi’s predecessor was Osaka Brewery, which was established in 1889. The company launched Asahi Beer in 1892. The new beer became an instant success, winning an award at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago a year after its release and another at the 1900 World Fair in Paris. Osaka Brewery, Sapporo Brewery, and Nippon Brewery merged in 1906 to establish Dai Nippon Brewery, a venture that lasted for decades, until the post-war Excessive Economic Power Deconcentration Act forced them to split.
Asahi Breweries was officially founded in 1949, and it continued to sell the beer in Japan. However, the company revolutionized the Japanese beer industry in 1958 with the release of Asahi Gold, the first canned beer in the country. The 1970s saw Asahi venture into the soft drinks scene with several masterstrokes, including the sale of beverage vending machines and the acquisition of Japanese carbonated drink brand, Mitsuya Cider. By the end of the 20th century, Asahi was also a successful low-alcohol beverage and food manufacturer. The company transitioned from Asahi Breweries to Asahi Group Holdings in 2011. As part of the long-term plan, it spent the next two decades acquiring beer, beverage, and food brands from all over the world, including Japan’s Calpis in 2012, the Netherlands' Grolsch Brewery in 2016, and Australia's Carlton & United Breweries in 2020.
Spotlight on Calpis: Asahi’s Iconic Milky Beverage
Calpis is a non-carbonated soft drink that originated in 1919 on Star Festival day in Japan. Hence, its packaging initially consisted of white dots overlapping on a blue background to represent the Milky Way. They swapped the colors of that design in 1953. The drink is made by fermenting skimmed milk with some lactobacilli bacteria. It has a creamy, light, and yogurt-like flavor, thanks to the lactic acid bacteria. Calpis is called Calpico outside of Japan. An alternate name became necessary when the manufacturers realized that the original name sounded too much like “cow piss.” When Calpis was released, most people saw it as a drink for special occasions. They also offered it as gifts. It only became an everyday beverage in the late 1960s when the brand switched to paper and plastic containers. Today, it’s the top-selling lactic acid drink in Japan. Asahi acquired the Calpis brand in 2012 as part of its soft drinks division. There are other versions of the drink known as Calpis Water (diluted version) and Calpis Soda (carbonated version). The milky beverage also comes in a variety of flavors outside the plain classic. Mango, Lychee, and white peach are some of Calpico’s most famous flavors, and they are all available on Bokksu Market.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Refreshing Sips: The Popularity of Mitsuya Cider
Mitsuya Cider is another member of the Asahi Soft Drinks subsidiary with immense popularity and cultural significance. It’s a Japanese carbonated beverage that tastes like a blend of lemon, lime, ginger ale, and sugar. It was first produced in 1884, and since then, it has been one of the most popular beverages in Japan. Mitsuya Cider became an Asahi product in 1972. Many consider this acquisition the official beginning of Asahi’s venture into the soft drinks business. The brand currently has fruity variants that contain flavors such as lemon, white peach, mikan, and grape.
Exploring Asahi’s Snack Line
The subsidiary in charge of the company’s snack production arm is called Asahi Group Foods. It currently includes brands ranging from baby food to free-dried soups. The following are the main snack brands produced by Asahi:
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Amano Foods: This is an instant miso soup brand that Asahi acquired in 2008. The company sells freeze-dried blocks of miso soup with garnishes, offering consumers a fast and healthy meal.
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Ippon Manzoku Bar: This is a brand of nutritious snack bar. It has cereal, baked, and protein versions.
Fruity Candy Adventures with Asahi
Asahi’s line of candies offers a different taste of the brand’s creativity. They combine the flavors of some of their top soft drink products to create these sweet delights. The most famous one has to be the Asahi Mitsuya Cider Candy. This line of sweets draws inspiration directly from the Mitsuya Cider fizzy drink. By mixing pressurized carbon dioxide with melted candy, the company creates sweets that contain small bubbles, hence recreating the taste of carbonate beverages. Flavors in the candy include lemon, grape, mikan, pineapple, and orange.
Pairing Asahi Beverages with Snacks
You can enhance the tasting experience of all kinds of Asahi beverages by pairing them with specific snacks. Savory nuts taste great with Asahi beer. We recommend that you enjoy this alcoholic drink with salted almonds, peanuts, or cashew. Non-alcohol beer can enhance the flavors of cheese and crackers. Other Asahi alcoholic drinks include Nikka Whiskey and Vodka Cruiser. Feel free to pair the whiskey with salted nuts, cheese, and crackers. Caviar and steak are better options for vodka. Calpis tastes best with chocolate chip cookies or cakes, while Mitsuya Cider pairs fantastically with potato chips.
Asahi’s Commitment to Quality and Innovation
The Asahi Group maintains high-quality products across its diverse range of snacks and beverages via the Asahi Quality & Innovations subsidiary and Research & Development (R&D) facilities. The subsidiary works on long- and medium-term goals related to the company’s global growth, while the R&D facilities are responsible for developing new products and assessing their quality while meeting environmental preservation and safety standards. Asahi has labs and research buildings in Moriya where R&D takes place. They also collaborate with third-party R&D organizations.
Cultural Impact: Asahi’s Role in Japanese Dining
Asahi has had a major influence in Japanese dining culture since the introduction of Asahi beer in 1892. Today most bars, pubs, and izakayas in Japan stock Asahi beverages. Casual diners visit izakayas, especially to drink the beer and eat fried food. Those who want to either cut down or avoid alcohol can enjoy Asahi’s non-alcohol beer or soft drinks from bars and convenience stores. Asahi products are also used in the kitchen. For example, people use Calpis to flavor kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) and to elevate cocktails.
Exploring Asahi’s Signature Offerings
The following is a list of some of the most innovative and unique products from Asahi’s range of snacks and beverages:
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Asahi Super Dry: The first ever dry-tasting beer in the world (released in 1987)
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Asahi Mitsuya Cider Candy (Fruits Assort): Sweet and fruity hard candy that creates a fizzy sensation of Mitsuya Cider. Flavors include lemon, mikan, and grape.
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Asahi Calpico (Strawberry): One of the most popular flavors of Asahi’s milky beverage.
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Asahi Dry Zero: An innovative beer that contains no alcohol, sugar, or calories. It also maintains the signature creamy and delicious taste of Asahi beer.
Asahi’s Global Reach: Bringing Japanese Flavors Worldwide
Although Asahi only has 8 production sites, it boasts of 90 export markets, making its products available worldwide through platforms like Bokksu Market. Asahi’s global reach includes most of North America, all of South America, most of Europe, most of Southeast Asia, and some of Africa.
The Future of Asahi’s Beverage and Snack Innovations
We’ll likely see Asahi expand into more countries in the coming years. Currently, the company seems to be focusing on developing non-alcoholic and zero sugar beer, which is a hot commodity in the modern era. Their food brands may also be creating more traditional snacks soon, outside of nutrition bars and instant soup. For now, you can explore the wide and varied world of Asahi products on Bokksu Market. Be sure to taste both traditional favorites and innovative new offerings!
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