Japan: Kirin Brewery to offer premium version of its Ichiban Shibori beer

Kirin Brewery Co. will start offering a premium high-quality version of its mainstay Ichiban Shibori beer on June 11 for sale exclusively as chugen summer gifts and seibo year-end gifts, The Japan News reported on April 16.

The move by the Kirin Holdings Co. unit comes at a time when the Japanese market for high-priced beer is growing while the beer gift market is leveling off.

Kirin’s participation in the high-end beer market is expected to intensify competition among major beer makers that have already announced plans to focus on premium product sales.

16 April, 2014