No more warm draft beer in summer: Kirin debuts Frozen Beer in Hong Kong

Kenneth Kwok, senior brand manager of San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong, which has been distributing Kirin Beer in the city since July 2012, said the frozen beer was launched in Japan a year ago and in the US, Korea, France and Taiwan this year.

Kwok explained that while normal draft beer can go flat at room temperature in a short time, Kirin has developed a proprietary technique to create foam that is frozen to minus-5 degrees and acts as a lid to keep the beer ice-cold.

SPRG, the PR agency for San Miguel, organised a sampling launch party last week. The new product is now available in selected bars and Japanese restaurants, as well as Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Kirin beer counter.

In July the brand will launch a Facebook campaign with a lucky draw, in which top prize is a trip to Tokyo to visit the Kirin Beer Garden and its production plant.

Kwok added that since taking on the distributorship last year, San Miguel Brewery has been proactive in marketing initiatives to maintain Kirin’s premium Japanese image in Hong Kong, "which is not hard as many Hong Kong people are receptive to Japanese culture".