Sakazuki Lab to Offer a New-and-Old Clear Asahi Tasting on October 15
Sakazuki Lab in Adachi, Tokyo, will offer a special tasting set comparing Clear Asahi from its former “new genre” category with the beer-category version from October 15. The event explores the timing of Japan’s beer tax revision through pouring techniques and side-by-side tasting.
Hop BroSakazuki Lab in Adachi, Tokyo starts a Clear Asahi old-versus-new tasting on October 15.
MugiWhat?! A Clear Asahi comparison? What changed between them?
Hop BroA tax-law revision moved it from the new-genre category into the beer category. That makes this a historic comparison set.
MugiSo it went from being beer’s cousin to beer itself? That’s a big tax-reform milestone!
Hop BroExactly. The fun is tasting that legal transition in a glass. They’ll also serve each beer differently.
MugiSeriously? Pouring changes the flavor? I treated foam like decoration—foam has a job!
Hop BroIt can lift aroma and shape the texture. Sakazuki Lab will use pours matched to each beer, so the comparison should be revealing.
MugiAnd what about snacks? My stomach has already arrived! There’s fish and chips on offer?
Hop BroMahi-mahi fried in beer batter, fresh potato chips, and dill-and-ginger yogurt sauce. Their Lab-exclusive Night Flight offers a clear, malty sweetness too.
MugiThis is the best kind of homework! The set ends when either version runs out, so let’s go toast soon!
Sakazuki Lab, a beer-focused venue in Adachi, Tokyo, will begin its “Lab-style proposal for enjoying national-brand beer” on October 15. The featured beer is Clear Asahi, which moved from Japan’s “new genre” category into the beer category following the latest liquor-tax revision.
The venue says its regular Maru-Ef offering will take a break for the day. In its place, selected national-brand beers will be served using pouring methods chosen to match each beer’s character. Guests can enjoy the beers individually or compare them side by side.
The highlight is a “historic tasting set” pairing Clear Asahi from the former new-genre classification with the beer-category product. The set will only be available while both products remain in stock, making it a limited opportunity to taste the change across the classification boundary in one sitting.
Sakazuki Lab also announced related offerings from its October 14 service. A new sake, Asahi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi Tamakae from Shiga’s Asahi Shuzo, was tapped, alongside Night Flight, a Lab-exclusive beer featuring a gas-served Haradincka. The brewery describes it as clear and malty, with a gentle sweetness that can be experienced directly through the Haradincka pour.
For food, the Lab’s special fish and chips uses mahi-mahi, a white-fleshed fish known in Hawaii as a premium catch. The beer-battered fish comes with freshly fried potato chips and a yogurt sauce made with dill and ginger, designed to pair with a cold beer.
Rather than treating the beer-category change as a technical matter, this event lets drinkers examine it through aroma, texture and finish. With Sakazuki Lab’s careful pouring and food pairing, familiar national-brand beer becomes the subject of a thoughtful tasting experience.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroSakazuki Lab in Adachi, Tokyo starts a Clear Asahi old-versus-new tasting on October 15.
MugiWhat?! A Clear Asahi comparison? What changed between them?
Hop BroA tax-law revision moved it from the new-genre category into the beer category. That makes this a historic comparison set.
MugiSo it went from being beer’s cousin to beer itself? That’s a big tax-reform milestone!
Hop BroExactly. The fun is tasting that legal transition in a glass. They’ll also serve each beer differently.
MugiSeriously? Pouring changes the flavor? I treated foam like decoration—foam has a job!
Hop BroIt can lift aroma and shape the texture. Sakazuki Lab will use pours matched to each beer, so the comparison should be revealing.
MugiAnd what about snacks? My stomach has already arrived! There’s fish and chips on offer?
Hop BroMahi-mahi fried in beer batter, fresh potato chips, and dill-and-ginger yogurt sauce. Their Lab-exclusive Night Flight offers a clear, malty sweetness too.
MugiThis is the best kind of homework! The set ends when either version runs out, so let’s go toast soon!
