Japan: Kirin Brewery to launch Japan’s first carb-free beer on October 6

Japan's Kirin Brewery Co. said on August 27 it will launch the country's first carb-free beer product on Oct. 6, Nippon.com reported.

The company expects the zero-carb version of its flagship "Ichiban Shibori" beer to win new customers at a time when more and more people are becoming health-conscious as they tend to stay home amid the coronavirus epidemic.

The Kirin Holdings Co. unit reviewed ways to select and process malt to create a clear taste and rich malt flavor. The new product is expected to retail for around 221 yen for a 350-milliliter can.

"We want to nurture the new product to become the second pillar" of the company's beer lineup, Kirin Brewery President Takayuki Fuse said at a press conference.

The liquor tax on beer and quasi-beer is scheduled to be unified in stages by 2026. As part of the process, the beer shipping price is set to be lowered by 7 yen for a 350-milliliter can in October this year.

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