Some years ago, Japan's major brewers introduced a new category of low-malt alcoholic beverages called "happoshu." The public response was enthusiastic, in part, because, although they resembled beer at first glance, they were in fact not beer and so, were taxed less and cheaper to buy.
  Now, Kirin Brewery has eliminated malt altogether, by launching Kirin Nodogoshi "Draft" in April 2005. To create a beverage with delicious flavor and thirst-quenching character, Kirin used amino acids and peptides extracted from soybean protein and added sugar in a new brewing technique it refers to as the "browning method." Using a proprietary technique, Kirin extracts a rich flavor and aroma from the ingredients, and requires no artificial coloring to create a natural amber-colored liquid.
  In 2004, the market for non-malt, low-alcohol beverages accounted for 5% of total market sales for beer and similar beverages. These products appeal to consumers not only because their lower tax rate makes them relatively inexpensive, but because they have a clean flavor and casual image.
  And finally, how does it compare to beer? Well, nearly everyone agrees it does not taste the same, but that was never Kirin's intention. Instead, the new beverage has a lighter, cleaner taste that many people—including some mildly surprised die-hard beer drinkers—find to be quite refreshing.

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