Sales of low-alcohol beer in Japan grew 2.2 times in 2002 over the previous year in contrast with a fall in sales of overall beer products, and they are expected to grow by more than 60 % this year, according to Kyodo News. Low-alcohol beer, often sold in Japan as "nonalcohol beer," contains less than 1 % of alcohol. Analysts said this type of beer first became popular in Japan when Takara Shuzo Co. launched Barbican in 1986, but the market has never seen sales as strong as in 2002.

Sales of Buckler, which is imported by Kirin Brewery Co. from Heineken N.V. of the Netherlands, soared 22 times in 2002 from the previous year. A number of new products launched between late last year and early this year are also boosting overall sales of low-alcohol beer. They include Fine Brew by Suntory Ltd., Super Clear by Sapporo Breweries Ltd. and Lowenbrau Alkoholfrei, which is imported from Germany by Asahi Breweries Ltd.

Some analysts attribute the growing popularity of the low-alcohol beer to the government's strengthened controls against driving under the influence of alcohol. But beer makers are taking steps to stop calling the products nonalcohol beer to avoid misleading consumers to believe they are 100 % free of alcohol.

"Even if it's a 0.5 % alcohol beer, it can make a driver intoxicated if consumed in large quantities," a Kirin spokesman said. Kirin launched its own low-alcohol beer, named Malt Squash, this month and the product has a label stating it contains about 0.5 percent of alcohol.

20 May, 2003