A new limited-time flavor is joining the "Kirin Tokusei" (麒麟特製) canned sour lineup. "Kirin Tokusei Yuzu Ginger Sour (Limited-Time)" (麒麟特製 ゆずジンジャーサワー（期間限定）) goes on sale nationwide in Japan on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, in 350ml and 500ml cans.
The "Kirin Tokusei" brand is built on the concept of a special sour that Kirin has crafted to a high standard, with a taste found nowhere else.
The RTD Market and the Kirin Tokusei Brand
In recent years, the RTD (Ready to Drink) market has been growing. RTD refers to alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed straight after opening. Drinking occasions have expanded, including during meals, and customers have been coming in from other categories. A Kirin Brewery survey also shows that some RTD drinkers look for "quality feel" and "drinking satisfaction."
In response, Kirin Tokusei is made with carefully chosen ingredients and methods to deliver a "premium taste." Its combination of quality feel and satisfying flavor has earned it support among drinkers.
A Winter Fruit Meets Ginger
Yuzu is a fruit familiar as a winter citrus. By combining it with ginger, the new flavor aims to be easy to imagine on the palate while offering a fresh kind of deliciousness. The yuzu's aroma and pleasant acidity are layered with the refreshing spiciness of ginger, creating the multilayered, satisfying taste that Kirin Tokusei is known for.
Kirin hopes the seasonal, novel limited-time flavor will appeal to existing fans as well as new customers.
The brand aims to make customers' today fulfilling with a premium special sour that Kirin has carefully crafted. Through limited-time releases like this one, Kirin hopes to energize the RTD market.
Product Features
- The drink combines rich yuzu aroma and pleasant acidity with the refreshing spiciness of ginger and a subtle sweetness. It is made without fruit juice.
- It uses Kirin's proprietary "fermented flavoring ingredient derived from coffee cherries" to give it a satisfying body. A coffee cherry is the red fruit of the coffee tree, and its seeds are the raw material for coffee.
Packaging
The design carries the premium feel of careful craftsmanship while conveying the seasonal, special mood of winter's arrival. It also expresses the deliciousness of rich yuzu layered with refreshing spiciness.
About the Coffee Cherry-Derived Fermented Flavoring Ingredient
This ingredient was developed by Kirin Holdings' Beverage Future Research Laboratories (飲料未来研究所). Coffee cherries are pressed, the juice is concentrated, and the resulting extract is fermented with lactic acid bacteria and yeast.
In a preference survey using RTD products, improvements were confirmed in "overall preference," "satisfaction," "refreshing feel," and "premium feel," suggesting the ingredient may raise drinking satisfaction. The survey was conducted in June 2024 with 90 men and women aged 35 to 59.
Coffee cherries were previously discarded. By using them as a valuable ingredient, Kirin aims to contribute to sustainability through higher income for coffee farms, and to a lower environmental burden through reduced waste.
Product Details
- Product Name: Kirin Tokusei Yuzu Ginger Sour (Limited-Time) (麒麟特製 ゆずジンジャーサワー（期間限定）)
- Release Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2026
- Available Area: Nationwide in Japan
- Sizes: 350ml can, 500ml can
- Price: Open price
- Alcohol Content: 6%
- Pure Alcohol: 16.8g (350ml can), 24g (500ml can)
- Production Sites: Kirin Brewery Sendai, Toride, Nagoya, and Okayama plants, and Kirin Distillery Fuji Gotemba Distillery (planned)
