Shipments of beer and "happoshu," a low-malt, beer-like liquor, fell 0.8 percent in November from a year earlier to 557,607 kiloliters, marking the first decline in two months, according to data released Wednesday by Japan's five top brewers.
Shipments of beer in November dropped 12.6 percent to 385,663 kiloliters, but those of happoshu rose 42.1 percent to 171,944 kiloliters, according to reports by Asahi Breweries Ltd., Kirin Brewery Co., Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Suntory Ltd. and Orion Breweries Ltd.
Shipments of happoshu, which is similar to beer in taste and appearance but taxed less due to its low malt content, rose for the 66th straight month, while those of beer fell for the 20th month in a row.
The brewers attributed the continued downturn in the beer market to cold weather in November, and the upswing in the happoshu market to new products launched in the reporting month.
Happoshu accounted for 30.8 percent of the overall beer and low-malt liquor market in November.