The annual competition for the summer¡¯s hit drink is as fierce as usual, and all the major manufacturers have their contenders. Will it be Asahi¡¯s new in a can? Or Pepsi¡¯s latest oddity, the shocking-pink soda?
According to the morning TV show ¡°,¡± the winner may just be a dark horse: amazake.
Though it literally means ¡°sweet sake,¡± this fermented rice drink is actually alcohol free and has been around for centuries. In the Edo Period, it was commonly drunk to ward off the dreaded natsu-bate (summer heat fatigue). Apparently the combination of vitamin B and glucose provides an immediate jolt of energy. The rich?ate eel; the rest drank amazake.
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