This summer, raise a toast to a mug of cold beer-flavored shaved ice!
Beer consumption in Japan may be down in recent years, but the Japanese still love their beer, especially in the summer. In fact, seasonal “beer gardens” pop up in stores across the country each year just so that we can enjoy ice-cold beer during the hot summer months.
This year, internationally-popular Taiwanese shaved-ice outfit Ice Monster has come up with a cold creation that combines the look and flavor of beer with their signature treat. It’s shaved ice, but it comes in a glass jug and looks exactly like a mug of beer!
The “Beer shaved Ice” is made from a combination of mango-flavored shaved ice topped with beer-flavored shaved ice to give it the appearance of a glass of beer with a nice thick layer of foam on top.
And for those of you above drinking age, the best part is that the treat actually contains alcohol, so it serves as both a drink and dessert! We have to say it all looks and sounds quite appetizing.
The Beer Shaved Ice will be available for 880 yen (US$7.90) for a limited time at select Ice Monster locations: the Grand Front Osaka branch starting July 21, the pop-up store at THE GATEHOUSE restaurant in Nagoya starting July 15, and the pop-up store at the Shinjuku Box cafe area starting August 2.
Ice Monster is already very popular — the chain has the distinction of being selected one of CNN’s Best 10 Desserts in 2013 — meaning the new offering might result in even longer long lines than usual for customers at these store locations.
According to the released information, they plan to serve the Beer Shaved Ice until the end of August, but supply is limited, so if you want to try one of these, you might want to do so sooner than later.
Or, if you’re not ready to brave the lines in the summer heat, than we guess you can always settle for a regular glass of cold beer, or perhaps a round of matcha green tea beer instead?
Source, images: PRdesse via Hachima Kiko
Related: Grand Front Osaka, THE GATEHOUSE, Shinjuku Box