Thread: Heavy drinkers force Kirin Brewery to charge for tours

Repeated visits by heavy drinkers forced Kirin Brewery Co. to change its longstanding policy of allowing visitors to sample its beer for free during factory tours.


The change, effective Oct. 1, intended to prevent “overconsumption,” said a company representative, referring to visitors repeatedly returning for free beer tastings.


“A free factory tour that includes free sampling beer runs the risk of leading participants to overconsume alcohol as the sole purpose of signing up for such events,” the official said with a straight face.


Kirin Brewery is the first among the four leading beer makers in Japan to charge for a factory tour.


For the time being, it plans to serve a glass of beer for each visitor rather than the two or three glasses served previously. The company said it was also taking the surging pandemic into consideration.


The policy change affects tours to nine factories, including those in Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe and Fukuoka.


Those aged 19 or younger can join a factory tour free as they will not be served with beer.


But those aged 20 or older will be required to each pay 500 yen ($4.60).


The company said it will announce details of future tours, depending on how the health crisis plays out.


Heavy drinkers force Kirin Brewery to charge for tours | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Originally Posted by misskit

For the time being, it plans to serve a glass of beer for each visitor rather than the two or three glasses served previously.

Times must be very hard if three glasses of beer per person is breaking the bank.

Originally Posted by misskit

the risk of leading participants to overconsume alcohol as the sole purpose of signing up for such events,

What other purpose is there for visiting a brewery ?

Originally Posted by helge

What other purpose is there for visiting a brewery ?

Helge, you can't keep lining up at the end of the line after collecting your beer!!!

I believe in queue culture

Danes . . .

Heavy drinkers force Kirin Brewery to charge for tours

Nothing to do with greed then?

How many Yen does it cost Kirin to brew a glass of beer, I wonder.

not everyone would want their free beers , so probably the leachers would be persuading them for their own consumption