Alcohol Reccomendation

This summer i will be studying abroad in Japan, and am curious as to any alcoholic beverages you might suggest.

I do not really want to get smashed, nor do I like sour beverages. I am looking for something perhaps sweeter than sour, but not too strong, and maybe something fitting for a summertime beverage.

There are a lot of options. Just go to a convenient store and you will see.

As for sweet alcoholic beverages being noramally served, I can only think of either umeshu or cocktails.

However, at most bars in Japan, cocktails are extremely light, and to me they simply don't taste like cocktails. So whenever I feel like drinking something sweet, I either order umeshu or go to a bar that is more genuine.

Umeshu can be served with water or soda added, as well as straight or on the rocks.

I personally love Umeshu, at home in the UK I drink it straight, but when I was back in Japan a few weeks ago I had it at my sister-in-laws parents house mixed with soda water which was really nice too.
I had a cocktail as well that was matcha liquer with rum and milk that was very nice and sweet.
You can also get Shochu that can be mixed and flavoured, I seemed to have alot of drinks this past time in Japan that were mixed with calpis which was really nice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABhai
I think Kirin is the best brand...also Cocktail Partner.

Yebisu is pretty good too for beer. I went to the beer museum today and sampled some. Good fun. Beer is an acquired taste, however, so not every person would like the same kind. I like drier beers, for instance.

However, to stay on topic, there are many, many, liquor stores all over Tokyo, and alcohol is sold in specialty markets too, like the big department stores in Ginza, or the markets near the major JR stations. In my travels, I like to browse through these places to see if I can find something new and interesting.

if you end up getting a job here you'll at some point learn how to drink properly. basically everyone in japan drinks (there are some exceptions but trust me you'll understand once you get here, half the city is stumbling drunk after 8pm every day).

for cheap thrills i recommend a 1 liter bottle of suntory whiskey mixed with cola, 25% whiskey 75% cola. sounds strange but it's quite good and not too strong. you will be hammered in no time.

this is important because if you keep up your mild wimpy drink habits you'll develop a large dimensional vortex in your wallet which will swallow your money and credit cards.

umeshu is very good as a starter but is basically a woman's drink, drink it when you want to look civilized in front of the ladies. izakaya's serve it up so watered down you could spend 5000yen on drinks and not even be a bit tipsy. see advice about drinking whiskey above to rectify that problem.

there is an AMAZING beer called oirase dark lager. this is the best beer I have ever tasted in my life. it is brewed from the waters of lake towada in aomori. it's extremely expensive but i recommend it highly on a hot, humid and hard work day. it's unbelievably good.

the standard beer here is asahi super dry in the tall cans. it runs around 170yen i think for a can. it's not bad. the bottled stuff is noticeably better tasting.

the best beer you can buy for cheap is kirin lager. very good taste. again the bottled stuff tastes better. most supermarkets have kirin and asahi in cans but not bottles, you might have to look around. kirin cans are around 200-300yen

You can try fruit sake. Some restaurants do have it and in large supermarkets you can buy it for 210 yen per bottle (135ml). The brand is Petit Moon and there are different tastes like peach and apple. I loved it and I took some bottles home.

A little off-topic, but...
Is it considered impolite to refuse a drink? I don't drink alcohol at all, but from what I've been told, practically everyone drinks. So would I be looked down upon because I don't drink? ._.

officially no, but you will likely be razzed about it depending on who you're with.

especially among coworkers you may face considerable pressure to drink after work. initially you probably wont but as you become more comfortable among them it will happen.

my suggestion would be to get used to drinking even a little bit every once in a while once you arrive here.

I guess if you wanna buy something cheap, you should go to a convenience store.

Umeshu by cho-ya or Hyouketu by suntory would fit you!
Theyre sweet and not so strong.

I recommend Imozyotyuu to you.

As Winter wolf-san commented, Japanese often go to drink after-hours with co-workers, or bosses. Of course you don't have to, but to enjoy Japan, I recommend you to join with.
If you can't drink, there is a magic word to pass your critical situation!

First, when the start of party, someone tries to pour or order beer for you (with saying �gotsukare sama desita�h �gmaa ippai douzo�h), then you answer'' osake wa nomenai n desu�h (I can't drink alcoholic drink).
Someone may ask why or press you on. (But you don�ft have to explain then, but later. In Japanese culture, it is politer to press at least once, because in the case of when someone is too polite to refuse the beer�c Can you understand the way of we Japanese thinking??)
Then you should answer �gzya a ippai dake itadaki masu�h or simply �gzyaa ippai dake�h(OK. I�fll have just one.)and get your beer.
After you toast with holding your glass ''kan pai!'', and just put it your mouth (but you don�ft have to drink!), you put the glass on the table, and a few minutes later, you should order non-alcoholic drinks, but in very small voice. Or, someone may order for you, if he knew you can�ft drink.
When you do this �gceremony�h once, there is few to press you on , because they already sure to know that you can�ft drink.
But even then, they still may say �gippai dake douzo'' �gmaa ippaidake�h(just only one glass) etc. But, remember, they don�ft force you to drink! It�fs just a ceremony.
Then you can do just the same as before. Though your beer will be getting warm on the table�c

Anyway, It�fs very strange manner even I do almost everyday�c
Welcome to Japan wonderland!

Thanks for the info, calm.

Is it okay to flat out say you're allergic, but still join in on the get-together after work?

I don't know if I'm really allergic, but on one occasion, I turned blood red from head to foot and my palms started to itch. That's not really a side of me I want to show in public. XD

To Ebiten,
You don�ft have to tell you�fre allergic to others. (That�fs too bad! Some of my friends have same allergic.)
You should say just �gosake wo nomuto kibun ga waruku naru n desu�h (I often feel ill when I drink) etc. People may not ask why so far. It�fs not polite to be curious for others weak point, especially you don�ft want to say.
The most important point is whether you can enjoy the party. It�fs up to you.
My friend (as I mentioned above) always says �gsake wo nomanaku temo yopparaeru yo�h (I can get drunk though I don�ft drink)

By the way, I always drink imo-zyoh-tyuu with hot water ( imo zyoh-chu oyuwari). Good one has rich honey flavor. (Sorry, Ebiten)

Not everyone drinks, and I have met many men and women who don't drink. Some are for health reasons, others just prefer not to. It's such a teenage mentality where peer pressure to drink is very strong. Depending on how I feel, I drink or don't drink. I don't let others tell me what to drink.