Have we just seen the end of an era? According to this article, Kirin replaced Asahi as the Japanese beer market's leader in the first quarter of 2009. Chalk it up to the New Ichiban Shibori (couldn't have picked a better time to have Ichiro be the face of your beer), the declining love of the Super Dry, Nate's promotion of the Kirin Heartland, or some crappy cheap brew they released--but to be sure the lab rats at Asahi will be working overtime to retake the lead.
Sure this isn't that big of a deal since Kirin did the same two years ago--or is it? Could the recession be forcing people to either end of the spectrum--Third Category or Premium? I was at the combini on Monday (the only combini in town by the way) and I chose a new Ichiban Shibori because it is 100% Malt--and cheap*. For sure when I cracked it open on the back porch I wasn't too blown away--but it was much better than Super Dry. However, I did get ate up up by skeeters--and that didn't make me a happy camper.
* I would have bought The Premium Malt's but they didn't have tall boys....
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