Japan’s Sapporo Breweries halts beer release over ‘embarrassing’ misprint
- The limited-edition Kaitakushi Beer Tailored line, which carries the word ‘lagar’ on the front of the can, was meant to be launched on January 12
- Many customers have offered to help drink the unsold beer as Sapporo Breweries decides what to do with the stock
Sapporo Breweries Ltd halted the release – scheduled for January 12 – of its new Kaitakushi Beer Tailored after it was discovered that the word “lager” incorporated into a scroll on the front of the can had been misspelled “lagar”.
Produced in a collaboration with the Family Mart chain of 24-hour convenience stores, the beer was manufactured using traditional methods that were employed at Japan’s first beer factory, the Kaitakushi Brewery, which was established in 1897.
In statements, both the brewery and convenience store said they “sincerely apologise for the inconvenience to customers”.
Junko Fukuchi, a spokeswoman for Sapporo, admitted that the error, though very small and easily overlooked, was “embarrassing”.
“There are no legal issues with the error or the design, but it is certainly embarrassing,” she told the Post. “We decided to cancel the launch of the beer, but we have had so many messages from members of the public saying it does not matter to them.”
We have been inundated with offers from our customers to help out by drinking them
The company is declining to say how many cans of the 6 per cent beer were produced but confirmed it is presently considering its options, which include correcting the error on the original can and re-releasing it.