Orion Beer Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Tomigusuku City, Okinawa Prefecture; President and CEO Hajime Murano) is relaunching "Orion Southern Star" and "Orion Mugi Shokunin" as beer, arriving from October 14 (Wed), 2026.
With the October 2026 liquor tax reform, the tax rates for beer and happoshu (low-malt beer) are being unified, marking a major turning point for the beer-type market. Taking this tax reform as an opportunity, Orion Beer is further refining the flavor characteristics that "Orion Southern Star" and "Orion Mugi Shokunin" — two brands loved by many customers over the years — have each built up, and relaunching both as beer.
Orion Southern Star, under the new concept "Today, let's take it easy," further pursues the refreshing quality and smooth drinkability characteristic of Southern Star. By curbing off-flavors and astringency, it achieves a light drinking experience and a clear, crisp finish, resulting in an even more refreshing, easy-to-drink taste.
Orion Mugi Shokunin, under the concept "Mastering barley, a craftsman's pride," builds on its established "body" and "crisp finish" while further strengthening the malt's umami and richness. Made with barley grown in Okinawa Prefecture, it delivers a solid body without becoming too heavy on the finish.
Enjoy these two beers, each with its own distinct character, to match your mood or meal on any given day.
Orion Southern Star
Orion Southern Star is a brand loved for its refreshing quality and smooth drinkability, pursuing a crisp, easy-drinking taste. Reborn this time as beer, its signature refreshing quality and light drinking experience have been polished even further.
It reduces the yeast-derived sulfury aroma and the ethanol-derived astringency in the aftertaste, while also toning down the grainy aroma from the malt, resulting in a clear taste with fewer off-flavors. A light drinking experience that carries through from the first sip to the last, paired with a crisp finish that fades quickly, rounds out an ultra-refreshing taste.
The package design carries on the blue that has become synonymous with Southern Star, with a large star-shaped emblem placed at the center — a design that makes it instantly recognizable as Southern Star.
Orion Mugi Shokunin
Orion Mugi Shokunin is a brand that has spent 20 years working with barley to pursue its flavor. Reborn this time as beer, it further draws out the malt's umami and richness on top of its established hallmarks of "body" and "crisp finish."
Made with barley grown in Okinawa Prefecture, the alcohol content stays at 5.5%. It offers a solid body where you can taste the original flavor and richness of the malt, while a good crisp finish keeps the aftertaste from becoming too heavy. It pairs easily with any dish, letting you enjoy an authentic beer taste alongside your meal.
The package design uses a color scheme that conveys calm and a premium feel, expressing the richness and authentic character unique to Mugi Shokunin.
Product Overview
| Orion Southern Star | Orion Mugi Shokunin | |
|---|---|---|
| Liquor category | Beer | Beer |
| Alcohol content | 5% | 5.5% |
| Ingredients | Malt (foreign-made), hops, rice, starch | Malt (foreign-made), hops, barley, rice, starch |
| Volume / packaging | 350ml can, 500ml can, 10L keg, 20L keg | 350ml can, 500ml can, 10L keg, 20L keg |
| Release date | October 14, 2026 (Wed) Keg products ship from October 1, 2026 (Thu) |
October 14, 2026 (Wed) Keg products ship from October 1, 2026 (Thu) |
| Release area | Okinawa Prefecture, the Amami Islands area, and the company's official online shop | Okinawa Prefecture, the Amami Islands area, and the company's official online shop |
| Brand site (updated Oct 14) | https://www.orionbeer.co.jp/brand/southernstar/ | https://www.orionbeer.co.jp/brand/mugi/ |
| Official online shop (opens Oct 14) | https://shop.orionbeer.co.jp/products/1924 | https://shop.orionbeer.co.jp/products/1944 |
New TV Commercial Featuring the "Southern Stars"
To coincide with this renewal, a new TV commercial featuring Orion Southern Star's new characters, the "Southern Stars," will begin airing on October 14 (Wed).
The Southern Stars are mysterious, richly individual characters who live on "Southern Star Island," a legendary southern island somewhere far away that might just really exist. They have vivid Southern Star blue bodies, and a single star appears somewhere on their body when they're born.
Set on Southern Star Island, with its blue sky and sea stretching out, the new commercial depicts the richly individual Southern Stars dancing around beer cans and happily drinking chilled Southern Star. Set to the memorable music "Southern Star became beer," it expresses the refreshing, light-hearted world of the renewed Southern Star.
They love the heat, but they love chilled Southern Star even more. Whenever someone seems to be having fun, they can't help joining in. Their expressions stay low-key even as their antics get wildly over the top. Through these lovable yet quirky Southern Stars, the brand will convey the new world of Southern Star as beer, along with the message "Today, let's take it easy."
New TV Commercial Overview
- Air start date: October 14 (Wed), airing sequentially
- Air area: within Okinawa Prefecture
