Does your current brew fall short in the cuteness department? Just hop on a plane to Taiwan or China and pop open a frosty cold can of Hello Kitty beer.
Since 1974, images of the bow-wearing, mouthless cartoon cat have adorned adorable products, from stationery and stuffed toys to cars and consumer electronics. Now the beloved character can be found skipping merrily on cans of fruit-flavored beers produced by the Taiwan Tsing Beer Company under the Long Chuan label.
Japan’s Sanrio Co. licensed Hello Kitty’s likeness to the brewer for a range of beers weighing in at a comparatively low 2.3% alcohol by volume; Budweiser contains 5% ABV and Bud light 4.2%. Fruit-flavored Taiwanese beers are increasingly popular both in their native country and in China, where the limited edition Kitty-bedecked beverage is sold in varieties including peach, lemon-lime, passion fruit, banana and more.
Reviews on the social beer reviewing site Untappd are less than favorable. A drinker identified as “Josh B.” rates the Peach offering with a half star out of a possible five, with the commentary, “Terrible,” while Danny W. offers a more generous one and a half stars, saying, “Tastes like Fanta with a beer aftertaste.”
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