Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. is launching a new limited-edition flavor, the Takara "Shochu Highball" (焼酎ハイボール) Sansho Sour (山椒サワー), nationwide on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The Sansho Sour is a seasonal new flavor that pairs perfectly with the brand's signature strong carbonation and crisp dry taste, delivering the distinctive refreshing aroma and numbing spiciness unique to sansho pepper.
Sansho is an ingredient whose demand rises in summer, largely due to its well-known pairing with eel — a popular dish on Doyo no Ushi no Hi (the midsummer Day of the Ox). In 2026, Doyo no Ushi no Hi falls on Sunday, July 26.
Beyond traditional Japanese cuisine, sansho has in recent years expanded into beverages, sweets, and other applications, seeing growing demand both domestically and internationally. At casual izakaya-style dining establishments, spice-forward drinks like sansho sour have become popular, enjoyed alongside not only eel but also meat dishes, Chinese cuisine, and fried foods.
Product Overview
Product name: Takara "Shochu Highball" Sansho Sour (タカラ「焼酎ハイボール」〈山椒サワー〉)
Category: Spirits (sparkling)
Alcohol content: 7%
Pure alcohol content: 20g per 350ml / 28g per 500ml
Sizes / Container: 350ml & 500ml / Aluminum can
Packaging: 24-can carton
Reference retail price (excl. tax): ¥159 for 350ml / ¥217 for 500ml
Release area: Nationwide
Release date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026
About the Takara "Shochu Highball" Brand
The Takara "Shochu Highball" is a dry chuhai (chilled highball-style shochu drink) that pursues the flavor of the original "Shochu Highball" born in the working-class bars of Tokyo's shitamachi (downtown) district in the early 1950s — said to be the origin of the word "chuhai." In addition to the robust taste of Takara Shochu and the refreshing crispness of strong carbonation, the brand has earned wide popularity for functional qualities including zero artificial sweeteners*, zero sugar**, and zero purines***.
The Takara "Shochu Highball" celebrated its 20th anniversary on March 7, 2026. The brand continues to deliver the "strong carbonation and refreshing dry taste" beloved in traditional downtown bars.
* No food additives classified as sweeteners are used.
** Based on food labeling standards, products with less than 0.5g of sugar per 100ml are labeled as zero sugar. The Ramune, Grape, Ginger, Taishū Sakaba no Ume, Taishū Sakaba no Akashiso, and Tateishi Uchida no Ume-wari Fū flavors are not zero sugar.
*** Products with less than 0.5mg of purines per 100ml are labeled as zero purines.
