Hoppy, a sparkling low-alcohol beverage usually mixed with "shochu" distilled spirits, debuted in 1948 and became popular mainly in and around Tokyo as a cheap alternative to beer after the war.
However, as beer became more widely affordable amid the high economic growth of the 1960s and 1970s, Hoppy — which had gotten a tacky image as a drink for working-class men — fell out of favor and many pubs pulled it from their menus.
Now the carbonated malt and hops concoction is making a comeback among young people as a healthy alcoholic drink, thanks to the efforts of Mina Ishiwatari, executive vice president of Hoppy Beverage Co. and granddaughter of the company's founder.