Morbid curiosity had prompted me to order a Two-Tone beer cocktail at the branch of Kirin Ichiban Shibori Garden in Tokyo's Akasaka district. I had read, with no small measure of disbelief, that Tokyo's latest summer beer fad was lager mixed with fruit juice or sweet syrup, and I had to see it with my own eyes. My mind struggled to grasp the concept of beer flavored with blueberry syrup, which according to one article in The Wall Street Journal has been a popular choice this year. Perhaps most staggering of all was the combination of beer and Calpis, the yogurt-flavored soda inspired by fermented yak's milk from Mongolia.

Major beer makers such as Kirin and Asahi started churning out novelty brews a few years ago, in an effort to attract younger drinkers. One of the first products that had caught my attention was the Asahi Super Dry Extra Cold, a limited-edition summer item served at a chilly minus-2 degrees Celsius. I could understand its appeal, although I've never tried it. Later, Kirin took the idea to the next level with its Kirin Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft, which comes capped with frosted foam shaped like a soft-serve ice cream. I sampled one at the beginning of summer and concluded that it was fine but rather gimmicky. The frozen foam, while cute, got in the way, and when the ice crystals melted in my mouth, it made the beer taste watery.

But fruity beer cocktails? That just seemed wrong.