Those who’ve visited Japan before will no doubt be aware of the mandatory pitstop at Family Mart—Tokyo’s 7/11 equivalent—to pick up a few celebratory arrival drinks. There’s an entire fridge worth of boozy single-serves to choose from, though everyone is really after one drink, and one drink only, known as Strong Zero—a premix concoction of shochu, vodka, soda and lemon which naturally weighs in with some serious vacation energy at 6% ABV.
Soon, however, you won’t have to travel to the land of the rising sun (not that you could anyway) to purse your lips on a frosty can of Tokyo’s unofficial tipple. Instead, you’ll be able to find the stuff in four and 10-packs across Australia in the (almost) immediate future.
What’s coming to our shores specifically is the Suntory Strong Zero Minus 196 Double Lemon; a hefty title for a hefty drink that’s made by freezing whole lemons at -196° with liquid nitrogen, then by crushing them and soaking them in alcohol before mixing it up with everything else you find inside the can.
At this point, we’re looking at a June drop for select independents, then across major liqour stores in the coming months.
In the meantime, stock up the cabinet with Australia’s best gin.
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