Lemon Sours are the most classic of the fruity canned cocktails most Japanese have less-than-fond teenage memories of overindulging in, so I didn’t expect innovation to strike at the very training wheels of alcohol prowess. What stopped me at the splashy grocery store display wasn’t the snappy new package design, it was the weirdly huge pop top.
Naturally, I had to investigate! Imagine my surprise when I opened it at home and discovered…
a slice of actual lemon inside!
A piece of real live fruit is the last thing I expected to see anywhere near a can of chū-hai, despite the many “fruit” flavors they deploy to tempt teenagers to ruin.
Naturally, I was quite excited to try this new improved version!
Sadly, I’m here to report that fake lemon flavoring still supplies most of the taste—the “actual juice” touted on the packages amounts to 5% for the “Original” and only 3% for “Plain—but those who harbor fond memories of the indiscretions of their youth will be relieved that this “new” and “natural” canned Lemon Sour still delivers that nostalgic tang of chemical goodness, with the kind of garnish that reassures everyone you’re an adult now.
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I am impressed with the slice of lemon inside… very aesthetically pleasing!