（日本語は後半にあります）
【English】
I'm happy to participate in 
This Sapporo "WITH BEER Amber Ale" was stacked near the entrance of the supermarket when I went shopping yesterday morning. The five-pointed star, which is the logo of Sapporo Beer, matched perfectly with the pale blue color reminiscent of the evening sky, and I ended up putting it in my cart without thinking.
When I got home and looked it up on the internet, I found out that this was a new product that Sapporo Beer started selling in limited quantities on November 12th. No wonder I hadn't seen it before!
(However, even though it's limited edition, I couldn't find out exactly how many bottles are being sold, despite my research😅)
The "WITH BEER" series is said to be a project launched to invigorate the Japanese beer market by attracting the interest of those who usually have little interest in beer. It is a beer particularly aimed at the younger generation, developed mainly by university students from Chuo University and young employees in their 20s from Sapporo. This "Amber Ale" is the second installment in the series.
Although it is a product aimed at younger people, in the sense of "those who were not interested in beer," it can be said that as a beer beginner, I am also part of the target audience for "WITH BEER." Because until I participated in #BeerSaturday this spring, I had hardly ever drunk beer!
Well, during the day I had various things to do and couldn't drink, and it was finally around dinner time that I was able to take a beer out of the fridge. Normally, I pair beer with cheese and potato pizza. It's very delicious, but it's high in calories. Since I'm currently on a diet, this time I opted for a modest cabbage salad, ham, and just two pieces of frozen fried chicken.
When you pour "Amber Ale" into a glass (which is actually a wine glass), the gentle brown hue and creamy foam create a truly pleasant impression! Indeed, the bitterness is minimal, and the smoothness is striking. This is because it uses three types of malt and two types of hops, "Furano Magical" and "Saaz," which have little bitterness. The alcohol content is 4.5%.
It might be due to the color or design of the can, but I thought it was a beer I'd prefer to drink alone while taking a breather on an autumn evening or night, rather than doing a big "Cheers!" with a large group.
It's a shame that I couldn't quite relax with a "taking a breather" because my sons were having dinner right in front of me, and as I was taking a picture of my beer, they kept photobombing with peace signs from the side, which was quite distracting😅
Incidentally, the “WITH BEER” series also has a promotional song, “Sensation” by a Japanese rock band called Novelbright. I heard it for the first time, and it certainly fits the atmosphere of WITH BEER... I should have drank it while listening to it😉
【Japanese】
このサッポロ「WITH BEER アンバーエール」は、昨日買い物に行った際に、スーパーの入り口付近に積まれていたものです。夕暮れ時の空のような淡い青にサッポロビールのロゴマークである五稜星がとても合っていて、思わずカートに入れてしまいました。
家に帰ってから調べてみると、これはサッポロが11月12日に数量限定で販売開始した新商品だと分かりました。道理で見たことがないと思った！ただ数量限定、といっても、何本販売されているのか等詳しいことは調べてもよく分からなかったのですが。
「WITH BEER」シリーズは、日本のビール市場を盛り上げるため、普段ビールにあまり関心が無かった層の興味を引くことを目的に立ち上げられたプロジェクトなのだそうです。特に若年層を意識したビールで、中央大学の大学生やサッポロの20代若手社員が中心となって開発しているとのこと。この「アンバーエール」はシリーズの第二弾にあたります。
若年層向けの商品ではありますが、「ビールに関心がなかった層」という意味では、ビール初心者の私も「WITH BEER」のターゲット層だよね？！
さて、日中は何かとやることがあり飲めず、やっとビールを開けられたのは晩ごはんの時間帯でした。いつもならチーズとジャガイモのピザを合わせるところですが、ダイエット中なので・・・今回は控えめにキャベツのサラダとハム、冷凍のから揚げ2つだけにしてみました。
注いでみると、優しいブラウンの色合いとクリーミーな泡がなんとも良い感じ！確かに苦味は少なく、まろやかさが印象的でした。3種の麦芽と、苦みの少ない「フラノマジカル」「ザーツ」という2種のホップを使用しているからだそうです。アルコール分は4.5%です。
缶の色や雰囲気もあるのかもしれないけど、大人数で「カンパーイ！」とやるよりは、秋の夕方や夜にほっと一息つきながら飲みたいビールだと思いました。
息子たちはちょうど晩ごはん中で、私がビールの写真を撮っていると横からピースサインをして映り込んでくるので邪魔で仕方なく、「ほっと一息」とはいかなかったのが残念ですが😅追い払うのに忙しくて（笑）
ちなみに、「WITH BEER」シリーズにはプロモーションのための楽曲も作られているそうで。Novelbright（ノーベルブライト）の「Sensation」、初めて聴きましたが確かにWITH BEERの雰囲気とすごく合っている気がする・・・聴きながら飲めばよかったな😉