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New pickled ginger drink takes ginger shots to a whole other level

Oona McGee Aug 8, 2022
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Are you game enough to drink pickle juice?

In Japan, pickled ginger is a common accompaniment to a lot of dishes, and it’s particularly popular in summertime, when the salt content is said to be good for replacing electrolytes and providing you with a much-needed energy boost.

One of the most famous producers of pickled ginger is Iwashita Foods, which is always surprising customers with new and exciting ways to enjoy the root vegetable. This summer, they’ve decided to go all out by transforming their popular “New Ginger” brand of young pink pickled ginger into…a drink.

The new “chilled cup” beverage has been created in collaboration with Morinaga Milk Industry, and it’s available in stores nationwide at a recommended retail price of 194 yen (US$1.46).

▼ You can buy it a little cheaper depending on where you go, though, as out nearest branch of 7-Eleven had it on the shelf for 172 yen.

Called “Iwashita’s New Ginger Pink Ginger Apple”, the beverage marks a new dawn for the brand, because despite selling its pink pickled juice in bottles for pickling at home, this is the first time the company has used its ginger pickle juice in a chilled cup designed for drinking.

▼ And what a pretty cup it is!

People in Japan are no strangers to drinking vinegar-based drinks on hot summer days, but pickle juice is a whole new idea for the market. The convenient cup makes it easy for customers to try the new flavour while travelling or when out and about at summer events and festivals.

It’s also great for enjoying at home, where you can pour the drink into a glass to admire its iridescent pink hues.

The colour really does look like Iwashita’s New Ginger pickle juice, but surprisingly, the flavour is very light on the tongue. Usually, a tiny taste of Iwashita’s pickle juice will make your face scrunch up at the salty, strong, spicy, sweet, condensed ginger flavours.

▼ However, the addition of apple to the drink really helps to round out the pickle juice, which is diluted to just the right level for maximum drinkability.

Iwashita says the drink was created after a long process of trial and error involving more than 50 prototypes containing different ingredients such as honey, lemon and yoghurt. The effort has certainly paid off, as they’ve landed upon just the right balance of flavours — the sweetness of the apple gently awakens the taste buds, followed by the ginger, which subtly enhances the sweetness.

This is a drink that’s both beautiful and delicious. The smooth gradation from apple to ginger flavours on the tongue immediately draws you in, creating an exquisite combination of sweetness and freshness that makes your body crave second and third sips.

It’s incredibly easy to drink, and the fruity, refreshing flavour is quite rare, making it unlike anything else on the market. Even in the highly competitive chilled cup drink world, Iwashita Ginger is able to stand out and make an impression, which is exactly what we expect from the brand that produced a souvenir penlight so out-there it generated obscenity complaints!

References: Iwashita Foods Online Store, Press Release
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[ Read in Japanese ]