TOKYO (AP) -- Here in the chic pubs of the Aoyama district,
the latest fad inspired by beer makers struggling through a sluggish
economy is the flammable suds of the new Hydrogen Beer. The latest
craze among the environmentally conscious crowd of twentysomethings,
the "Suiso" beer made by the Asaka Beer Corporation
has been extremely popular at karaoke sing-along bars and discotheques.
Hydrogen, like helium, is a gas lighter than air. Because hydrogen
molecules are lighter than air, sound waves are transmitted more
rapidly; individuals whose lungs are filled with the nontoxic
gas can speak with an uncharacteristically high voice.
Exploiting this quirk of physics, chic urbanites can now sing
soprano parts on karaoke sing-along machines after consuming a
big gulp of Suiso beer.
The drink comes in a transparent hexagonal bottle imported from
the maker of the new American drink "Zima," according
to Hideki Saito, marketing director of Asaka Beer Corp. While
the bottles are imported from Tennessee, the labels are made with
a 100% biodegradable polymer. The bottle caps are equipped with
a safety valve to prevent excess build-up of pressure in high
temperatures.
The flammable nature of hydrogen has also become another selling
point, even though Asaka has not acknowledged that this was a
deliberate marketing ploy. It has inspired a new fashion of blowing
flames from one's mouth using a cigarette as an ignition source.
Many new karaoke videos feature singers shooting blue flames
in slow motion, while flame contests took place in pubs everywhere
in Tokyo on New Year's eve.
So far, Asaka beer has insisted that the quantities of hydrogen
used in the drinks is too low to create potential for bodily harm.
In the factory, the carbon dioxide that is dissolved in the beer
is partially extracted and replaced with hydrogen gas. Mr. Saito
maintained that the remaining carbon dioxide mixed with hydrogen
prevents the rate of combustion from increasing dramatically.
Carbon dioxide is a nonflammable gas that is naturally contained
in the exhaled breath of humans.
However, the company has hesitated from marketing the product
in the US due to legal complications.
Each bottle of Suiso beer sells for approximately 1,200 yen, or eleven US dollars. The bottles are packed in special crates lined with concrete to prevent chain explosions in the event of a fire.