Japanese Whisky Producer Yamazaki Celebrates 100th Anniversary With Canned Highball Release
Barrels at Suntory’s own Yamazaki Distillery in Shimamoto, Mishima District, Osaka Prefecture. The distillery released a canned expression of the Yamazaki Highball exclusively in Japan. ( Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
In June, the House of Suntory announced it would be releasing cans of Yamazaki Highball in Japan, and these hard-to-find highballs hit shelves on Aug. 8, Sora News 24 reported Friday.
The Suntory Premium Yamazaki Highball cans were made in celebration of the distillery’s 100th anniversary. The 350-milliliter cans cost 600 yen (about $4.11).
The Yamazaki Highball cans were described as “easy-to-drink” and “refreshing,” by Sora News 24 reporter K. Masami.
Masami claimed she actually preferred them to making her own highballs at home. Her only complaint was how difficult the cans were to find.
The highly coveted Yamazaki Highball cans were released on Aug. 8 in Japan (Photo: Beam Suntory)
According to a June report from The Mainichi, the limited run of 2.4 million cans was set to hit shelves at retailers and supermarkets across the country.
Yamazaki’s whisky is produced in the Osaka Prefecture of Shimamoto. The distillery chose to sell the cans at higher price points because of the whisky’s premium quality.
Suntory also released a limited run of canned highballs using Hakushu, another premium Japanese whisky, set to sell at the same price point. The expression was released on June 6 and sold out quickly due to demand.
According to The Mainichi, users on social media lamented the scarcity of the Hakushu Highballs as well, and an individual claimed they had to visit six different stores to find them.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the House of Suntory celebrated Yamazaki’s centennial by releasing two limited-edition expressions: the Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Anniversary Edition and the Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt Anniversary Edition.
In May, the distillery also tapped “John Wick” star, Keanu Reeves to star in Yamazaki’s commercial campaign, which was directed by Sofia Coppola, whose credits include “Lost In Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides,” “Marie Antoinette” and other films.
Whether the cans will release stateside remains to be seen.
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