New machines to go into service in time for Japan’s steamy summer months.

Ironically, one of the coolest things about Japanese vending machines is that they dispense hot beverages during the winter. Your options aren’t limited to tea or coffee, either, as machines stocked with warm cans of soup can also be found all over.

So it’s a little sad when spring rolls around and most machines cycle out their hot drinks, but this April Asahi Soft Drinks is giving us something to look forward to as well.

Starting in April, Asahi will be debuting new vending machines with drinks chilled all the way down to -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 10 degrees colder than the typical temperature at which cold drinks come out of Japanese vending machines. While that would result in a solid block of ice for bottled water, -5 degrees is just above the freezing point for Mitsuya Cider, the specific carbonated drink being offered in this extra-chilled version.

▼ Mitsuya Cider has a sweet citrus taste, first went on sale in 1884, and was once accused of having a potentially deadly marketing campaign.

While Mitsuya Cider has been popular for well over a century, it’s not quite ubiquitous enough to have its own dedicated vending machines, and so the super-cold 430-milliliter (14.5-ounce) bottles will share space in the machine with other Asahi beverages kept at the standard five degrees. If it turns out to be a hit, though, we could see more sub-zero drink options in time to help us through Japan’s notoriously hot and humid summer.

Source: Asahi Soft Drinks via Livedoor News via Jin
Images: Asahi Soft Drinks