4 'Alcoholic' Beverages with 0% Alcohol
Thomas Shiozaki
Nomyunication (communication through drinking—nomu is Japanese for drink) is very important in Japanese society. While it's amazing if you're good at drinking, what if you're not? No problem! Just check out these 0 percent alcohol "alcoholic" beverages and you can enjoy your next nomikai (drinking party) without a hitch!
4. Non-Alcoholic Beer
http://blog.livedoor.jp/shin_lancer/archives/38573372.html
These taste (almost) exactly the same as beer, and contain no (or below 1 percent) alcohol. All the big beer makers (Kirin, Suntory, Asahi and Sapporo) have their own non-alcoholic beers, so you can still pick your favorite brand just like your beer-downing buddies. Because of the high popularity of beer in general, non-alcoholic beer can be seen everywhere in Japan, and you can easily find them in supermarkets and izakaya (Japanese-style pubs).
3. Non-Alcoholic Wine
http://www.suntory.co.jp/news/2015/12271.html
While non-alcoholic wine has been around for a while, these particular offerings from Suntory were released early in 2015, and are worth a bit of an extra eyeball. The red "wine" is made by extracting the alcohol from Merlot, while the white "wine" is built off a Chardonnay—so they both keep their original elegant taste, lasting aftertaste and enchanting smell. The labels indicate 10 to 12 percent juice, but neither wine is actually very sweet.
These aren't as easy to find as non-alcoholic beers, but they're around if you keep your eye open.
2. Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B5%E3%83%92-%E3%82%BC%E3%83%AD%E3%82%AB%E3%82%AF-%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B8%E3%83%86%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88-%E3%83%8E%E3%83%B3%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB-20
In addition to non-alcoholic beer and wine, Japan's beverage makers also provide non-alcoholic options for a wide variety of cocktails, including Cassis orange, grape rose, umeshu (plum wine) soda and more. These are always good selections for a home party for people who love cocktails but don't want to deal with the alcohol—and of course you can find them at plenty of izakaya as well!
1. Amazake
http://heianperiodjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/12/amazake-sweet-rice-drink-legends.html
Literally meaning sweet sake, amazake is a traditional drink made from whole grain rice. Its production dates back to the Kofun Period (250-538), and it's even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history, completed in 720.
You'll find a lot of street vendors selling amazake on the street at festivals. It's even easy to make by yourself, as supermarkets sell sake kasu (sake lees) that you can simply add to boiling water, which will give you a drink with roughly 1 percent ABV. It can also be made from rice koji (sake starter mold), which produces an entirely non-alcoholic drink.
Interestingly, while amazake is typically classified as a form of light alcohol, some people even use it as a hangover cure!
