Fancy a gulp of ??Or how about some refreshing ? Sold in department stores and over the Internet, regionally produced cider and are becoming increasingly popular with both people nostalgic for the past and young people who dig the look of retro?ramune bottles and cider labels.

Japanese cider is a nonalcoholic drink similar to Sprite, while , introduced to Japan in 1876, resembles the British version of lemonade (clear, not cloudy). For me, the drinks are indistinguishable in taste, but that certainly can¡¯t be said for the plethora of locally made cider and ramune that have been popping up all over the country. According to , in January of this year there were 127 varieties of regionally produced soft drinks, 2.4 times the figure four years ago.

The fun thing about the boom is that each area has its own take on the classic summer drinks, introducing local ingredients and using local water that has its own distinctive taste. Take , for instance, which tastes of locally grown akaniku (red meat) melons. And as the largest producer of wasabi in Japan, Shizuoka naturally produces a kick-ass , which?probably should be placed in the ¡°drink if you dare¡± category.¡± There¡¯s even a , useful in summer to help rehydrate the body, made in the salt-producing village of Okunoto in Ishikawa Prefecture.

In at least one case, the selling point of the product is spiritual. is blessed at Shizuoka¡¯s Tenshin Shrine and claims to ensure students who buy it success in entrance exams. Personally I don¡¯t think they need to make any mystical claims, as the cute daruma bottle already had me sold.

According to , department stores last year did a brisk business in locally made cider and ramune, with the help of attractive natsukashi (nostalgic) displays during the summer months. This year, online retailer has got some good offers on mixed cases of cider and ramune for aficionados.

As the weather heats up, so should sales of cider and ramune, possibly making this summer the best yet for local producers. It looks like a locally made cola might also be a hit this summer. There¡¯s already an made from black cane sugar on the market and March saw the release of , a sugar-free cola made by a local beer brewer.