Happoshu
Happoshu is a Japanese low-malt beer-like beverage created primarily for tax avoidance purposes, as it contains less than 67% malt content which qualifies it for lower taxation than traditional beer in Japan. It generally has a lighter, crisper flavor profile than regular beer, often supplementing the reduced malt with ingredients like corn, rice, soy, starch, or happo (carbonated) spirits. Happoshu emerged in the 1990s and remains popular in Japan as an economical alternative to beer despite typically having less body and complexity.