The Abashiri Brewery in Hokkaido which, judging by its website, really is some kind of beer-themed Willy Wonka side project, boasts what may be the world’s first naturally blue beer.
Always ready to get drunk for the sake of our readers, RocketNews24 took it upon ourselves to investigate this mystifying beer anomaly, appropriately named the Ryuhyou Draft (“Ice Floe Draft”), at a beachside pub.
We half expected the whole thing to be some kind of hoax; a regular beer served in a blue novelty glass or what have you. But upon pouring the bottled brew into a clear glass (and again into a clear party cup), we were surprised to find that it is, in fact, completely blue.
And not just any blue. We’re talking intense, almost neon blue. Walter White’s meth blue.
So blue you’d be forgiven for thinking it was some kind of toxic substance, but in fact it’s okay to drink and also tastes great! True to the beer’s name, it’s crisp and refreshing with a good bite.
Ryuhyou Draft is made with the standard beer fare, plus naturally occurring substances that give the drink its distinctive color, and somewhat disturbingly, Chinese Yam (best known for its slimy consistency when grated and resemblance to a certain bodily fluid).
You can search for a location that sells Ryuhyou Draft, or order online at the Abashiri Brewery’s website.
Photos: RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]








We try blue beer made with drift ice from Hokkaido
How to pull a beer from the can so it tastes like it’s from a keg
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
We go looking for a monkey mommy like Punch with Amazon Japan’s ultra low-rated orangutang plushy
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
“How do you google using Yahoo?” and other amazing questions from Japan’s Yahoo! Answers
Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says