the beers of FUTENMA: Orion shikuwasha beer cocktail

So I went down to the Family Mart to get some Japanese beers. I was looking for an IPA made by Kirin, but I didn't find it. Instead, I got a pack of Orion Southern Star and two cans of Orion shikuwasha beer cocktail. Today I'm doing the shikuwasha cocktail because I've never had it and figured I'd try something different.

it's a convenient store, for those not in the know

So it's made with a fruit called the Shikuwasha, it's native to Taiwan (Formosa) and the Riyukiu Islans (which includes Okinawa). As far as flavor goes, this little green citrus fruit tastes like a cross between a lime and an orange, but sour. They appear around July, and are not necessarily available all year

So this beer is a seasonal of Orion, and one that I'm more that happy to partake in. I still have not done a review on regular Orion draft, but I promise I will get to it. Later on I will also write about my visit to the Orion brewery, which I had a fantastic time at and took quite a few pictures of.

But now for the beer, the can has the three stars above the Orion logo with the brewery's current motto "for your happy time" and describes it in English as Orion Shikuwasa Beer Cocktail, a refreshing and clear beer cocktail made with shikuwasa produced in Okinawa. It has 5.5% alcohol, which means it will give you a decent buzz but you can have two of them without getting tipsy. It's made with Orion draft, so I imagine it will have a strong barley flavor rounded out with a decent amount of hopps and have that odd, but pleasant shikuwasa juice flavor added in. Time to crack top and pour foamy gold!

I can smell the shikuwasa from the can, this is not going to be an after taste.I just took the super traditional Orion mug out of the freezer and now its time to pour. Shikuwasa has a strong off lime smell to it and it completely overpowers the familiar unmalted barley nose of the Orion. It has the same amber-gold color as regular Orion, not a great deal of bubbles though. It built quite a head when I poured it, but that has died down rather quickly. Time to taste. If you've ever had XX with lime, that's kind of what this tastes like, but not exactly. Mouthfeel is just slightly acidic, it has a very light consistency, almost watery, but I would not go as far as to say that. It is certainly easy to drink, the shikuwasa is a nice touch and compliments the Orion quite well. You can kind of make out the barley flavor of the Orion, especially in the aftertaste.

happy time

Orion is a simple beer, it's made with simple ingredients, I think this one has five in total. The fantastic thing about Orion is that it is exactly what it needs to be without a bunch of frills, it is a crisp, clean, and refreshing beer that is accessible to everyone except the intolerably pompous. Just to be clear, this is not a Japanese rice beer, as beer advocate would have you believe. Budweiser is closer to a rice beer than this is (it actually contains rice), American lager my ass. Orion is actually an American styled beer, first produced during the American administration of the Island of Okinawa, on which it is brewed. But, as usual, I digress. I thought the Shikuasha fruit was going to be either overpowering or almost non-existent, but it was exactly the right mix. Its a nice change of pace from all of those powerful Belgian beers, I'm glad I had it. George Thorogood was a good choice to listen to while writing this as well.

 For my happy time indeed, thanks again Orion. I give this my blurry seal of approval.