Social media turns its back on Japan's beloved strong alcoholic beverages
Everyone has a friend who likes to darken the mood when others are simply trying to have a good time. Dr. Toshihiko Matsumoto took on this mantle over the new year, killing the buzz for a number of people on social media just hours ...
A century after Prohibition began, legacy still shapes America
It was an era famous for its bootleggers, mobsters and hidden speakeasies. On Jan. 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution came into force, ushering in Prohibition. A century later, the country has yet to fully turn the page on that raucous chapter ...
Americans said drinking more now than just before Prohibition
Americans are drinking more now than when Prohibition was enacted. What's more, it's been rising for two decades, and it's not clear when it will fall again. That's the picture painted by federal health statistics, which show a rise in per-person consumption and increases in ...
Japanese beer makers upbeat on 2020 sales even as market shrinks
Three major Japanese beer makers remain bullish on domestic sales for 2020 despite a shrinking market amid a decline in young people's interest in beer products. Japan's market for beer and quasi-beer products is expected to have shrunk in 2019, which would be the 15th ...
Kentucky fines Jim Beam over massive bourbon spill that killed fish
Jim Beam was fined $600,000 earlier this month after a July warehouse fire sent a nearly 23-mile (37-kilometer) plume of alcohol into the Kentucky and Ohio rivers, killing fish. The distiller agreed to the fine in a Dec. 6 order from the Kentucky Energy and ...
Japan's beer exports to South Korea down 99 percent on year in November
Beer exports by Japan to South Korea in November stood at ¥6.96 million, down 99.1 percent from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said Thursday. The November exports remained very weak due to continued boycotts of Japanese products in South Korea, reflecting the soured bilateral ...
Instagram to collect ages in push for youth safety and alcohol ad dollars
Facebook Inc.'s Instagram said it will require birth dates from all new users starting on Wednesday, expanding the audience for ads for alcohol and other age-restricted products while offering new safety measures for younger users. Until now, Instagram except for limited circumstances has required its ...
The Fukushima Prefectural Government launched a weeklong sake promotion event in New York City on Monday, hoping to boost recognition of its Japanese rice wine among U.S. consumers amid a sales slump in the domestic market. Ten Japanese restaurants in the city are participating in ...
More French gastronomes singing the praises of rice wine
The sommelier lingers over her glass, taking in the bouquet while clutching a spoon of caviar and cucumber jelly. The union of food and beverage is "magical," she declares. But Paz Levinson, head sommelier at the high-end Anne-Sophie Pic restaurant group, is not savoring a ...
Sydney, 'worst city in the world for nightlife,' to ease drinking rules
Sydney's lackluster nightlife received a long-awaited boost on Thursday when officials announced an end to rules severely limiting where and when people can drink alcohol. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced pubs' trading hours would be extended and laws curbing after-midnight drinking would be ...
The grape race: Suntory's Strong Zero chūhai tops the competition
Drink makers are embracing grape-flavored booze this winter, but not all of them hit the mark.
Sake pours into China amid shrinking consumption in Japan
Japanese sake sellers are looking to tap into China's growing taste for traditional rice wine to counter its falling consumption back home. Fueled by an increasing number of Japanese restaurants and rising Chinese household incomes, sake, while still considered a treat, can now be found ...
