Chūhai


Chūhai, often sold as Chu-Hi as a canned drink, is an alcoholic drink originating from Japan. The name chūhai is an abbreviation of "shōchū highball". Traditional chūhai is made with shōchū and carbonated water flavored with lemon, though some modern commercial variants use vodka in place of shōchū. The flavors available have recently multiplied, including lime, grapefruit, apple, orange, pineapple, grape, kyoho grape, kiwi, ume, yuzu, lychee, peach, strawberry cream, and cream soda.
For the chūhai sold in bars and restaurants, the alcohol content can be quite low, allowing those with a low tolerance for alcohol to drink safely. Canned chūhai, however, can have alcohol levels as high as 12% and is often sold in convenience stores and vending machines. Chūhai is served in tall glasses or mugs as drinks for individuals, making it less social than other traditional Japanese bar drinks like sake, beer, or whisky, which can be shared by pouring portions from a large bottle. Fresh chūhai is also sometimes served, featuring fresh-squeezed juice; in some cases guests squeeze their own juice. Due to the high sugar content, the number of calories in each bottle can be quite high compared to other alcoholic beverages.
In March 2018, Coca-Cola announced it would begin selling a chūhai product in Japan.

Availability in United States

produces two flavors of bottled chuhai under the JPOP label that are available in the United States. Sangaria also produces two flavors of canned chuhai for the US market.