Strong Zero
-196˚C Strong Zero (commonly referred to as Strong Zero) is a brand of chūhai owned by Suntory. It is currently sold in Japan, Taiwan and Australia. As with other types of chūhai, it is available in a variety of different flavors, and is often sold at convenience stores and vending machines.[1] The "strong" portion of the name comes from the fact that the drinks can be as high as 9% ABV.[2] The "zero" refers to what the manufacturer calls "sugar-free".[3] According to nutrition labeling standards, it can be labeled as sugar-free as long as the product does not exceed 0.5g of sugar per 100mL.[4]
Strong Zero is made by freezing fruit in liquid nitrogen, hence the "-196˚" in the name, and then pulverizing it whole and soaking it in vodka.[5][3] As with many food and drink products available in Japan, new flavors are often released to coincide with the seasonality of different ingredients.[6][7]
In Australia, the drink is labelled as -196˚C Double Lemon with 6% ABV in 330mL cans.
References
- ^ Michel, Patrick St (2020-01-18). "Social media turns its back on Japan's beloved strong alcoholic beverages". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ "Strong Zero: The Japanese 9% ABV low-cost cocktail in can that is becoming a cult favourite in the West". JOE.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ a b "1本で酔える!「高アルコール飲料」の吸引力 | 食品". 東洋経済オンライン (in Japanese). 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
- ^ "-196℃ストロングゼロ サントリー". -196℃ストロングゼロ サントリー (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ "「-196℃ストロングゼロ」「-196℃ストロングゼロ〈DRY〉」—「やってみなはれ」の精神があればこそ|飲食品でヒット商品をつくる|J-Net21[中小企業ビジネス支援サイト]". J-Net21[中小企業ビジネス支援サイト] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
- ^ Cabrera, David (2019-03-31). "My Japan Trip 2017–2018: Drinking in Japan and Strong Zero". Medium. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ "Skint Melbourne Sesh Weapons Are Buying All Of The City's Japanese Pre-Mixes". Pedestrian TV. 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2020-04-22.