InventorSpot

The Kimchee drink is Korean, or at least the writing on the package suggests so.

So it says in the article, but since it's distributed in Japan you can still have that comparo with Calpis - if you dare!

So obscene, numbers 1 through 5 have been obscured for our safety!

Sorry about the glitch eith numbers 1 to 5. We had a slight mishap with the site this morning with some bad html coding.

It's back up now.

Michelle

Can you believe that US children can drink Root BEER and Ginger ALE?

you forgot to add Picari Sweat to the list

Yes, we can. It's very popular in North America.

I really want to order some of this stuff... Anybody have any idea how to? what site? I gotta have me some water salad...what in the world could that taste like???

What about Pocari Sweat?

You missed out on Pokari Sweat (yes pokari sweat is the real name)! It's an energy drink!

 http://inventorspot.com/comment/reply/5225 (Pocari Sweat Image)  

try expanding your horizons and appreciate other cultures instead of making fun of them in unimaginitive and immature ways.

The "Diet Water" surely has levocarnitine or other sort of bullshit.

Guaraná is harmless, if you don't ingest in copious amounts.

Pocari Sweat is pretty well known... I'm out to shock & awe ya'll. Y'never know, though, it might make it onto the Next 20 listing...

Whoa! Are you kidding me?!?! Like, It's SOOO like strange that they don't drink coca-cola, sprite, coffee, tea and ginger ale all over the world! - especially the non-english speaking countries! you've just blown my mind... yes I'm being sarcastic. Welcome to century 20 - people in other countries like different things and don't necessarily blame beverages for the degeneration of their youth - which is why, I would hazard a guess in saying that the Japanese consumer watchdog saw nothing wrong with it. As an aside, the word "piss" does not necessarily translate to urine in Japanese. what are you going to find funny next? that they have words that sound like "f*ck you" in other languages dialects? grow a brain. The world does not revolve around the American market and yes, there are products out there with names that are not English based.

You forgot Pocari Sweat! Good list though. I should try that cucumber pepsi before it goes off the shelves. Just for the experience....

And fix your blog to support line breaks for comments!

This is probably like the Belgian brand Contrex. It's marketed as diet under the supposition that the particular blend of minerals it contains aids in weight loss.

haha. laughing more at the douchebags that got upset than the actual drinks.

They sell calpico around here, it's actually pretty good.

Kirin makes these sodas:

Monkey Fizz
Salty Cat
Bloody Wolf

I've had Monkey Fizz. It's grape soda. With a little vinegar.

Tried some yesterday, it's actually pretty good. Can't say I've tried the kimchee drink.  Can't say I'm going to either :) 

Pocari Sweat isn't an energy drink, it's the Japanese version of Gatorade.

By the way, this whole lets make fun of Japanese brand names was funny 10 years ago. I mean there are all kinds of websites devoted to Engrish stuff already. Oh my god, Calpis? Jesus it's not like people haven't been making fun of that name for years already.

Don't you have any thing new to offer Levinstein? 

I allways had alcohol free beer as a kid - nothing odd there... Probably a lot healthier and more natural than carbonated, synthetic sugar water... 

What we have here in Denmark is an low alcohol or alcohol free, very dark, very sweet beer called "hvidt øl" that is traditional around xmas, and normally also consumed by kids. 

Historically before brewers were able to brew modern high alcohol beer, low alcohol beer was a cleaner, disease free alternative to drinking water in europe... and kids drank it too :)

I don't understand what's wrong with Kidsbeer.

Here in Germany, we tend to drink beer - real beer - at the age of 6 already.

what about asparagus drink?

http://www.kinglucky.com.tw/eng-product_f.htm

Surely deserves some recognition for its weirdness

http://www.kinglucky.com.tw/eng-product_f.htm 

What about asparagus drink?

http://www.kinglucky.com.tw/eng-product_f.htm 

The vile-sounding Asparagus Drink is weird in itself, that's for sure, but it's already been noted that i included a Korean drink (Coolpis) on the list even tho it's distributed in Japan. The Asparagas Drink comes from Taiwan.

I assume you mean Pocari Sweat?  At least in Korea that's what its called and it is quite good too.

Guaraná is actually a brazilian berry who happens to be the main ingredient of the second best selling soft drink in Brazil too. In its original formula, it resembles a darker champaign (in fact, the leader of the category is called Guarana Antarctica Champaign). There you go...

I guess this is a beer and not a soft drink, but it is bizarre!

Japan also has Bilk- Beer and Milk combined!

http://rinkya.blogspot.com/2007/01/bilk-goes-on-sale-tomorrow.html

Bilk?? I guess "Meer" was already taken by the Russians, for their space station. Great blog, Laura!

Kids can buy shandy.....it even has alcohol in it!!!

there is no such thing in korea...

kimchee drink????? hmmmm no way...

yeah kimchee is korean food but it is also popular in Japan too

kimchee flavor drink is japanese idea

How do they advertise it? It's the marketing campaign for Kidsbeer that struck me as even more bizarre than the drink itself. Shandy, Root Beer, & Ginger Ale all sound rather beer-ish but they don't sell themselves as, well, kid's beers. In Canada, a "shandy" is made with half a bottle of beer mixed with half a bottle of Ginger Ale - really good on a hot summer day!

Oh man, by the time I got to Kidsbeer I was laughing so hard I was crying. Thanks for the great post!

Not sure if Deepresso is the opposite of Expresso, but it may be the opposite of ESpresso!! Maybe check your own spelling and grammar before making fun.

Well EX-cuuuuse me! And stop making fun of my spelling, lol!  

www.yougotlinks.com

Where is the Bilk???

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1059

 Supposedly the same brewery also has "Scallop Beer"... 
I may need to work up a "Next Ten" list. 

Only america thinks beer is evil.

every other country thinks giving kids toy guns is much tougher to justify.

so long as beer is dirty and guns are for 5 year olds, the states will retain the highest murder rate.

I've actually HAD Calpis (in New York actually, they sell em in this Japanese grocery store). It's actually pretty good. Pocari Sweat too...mmmm sweat. Actually, Pocari is just a sports drink/Gatorade kinda thing, but I think it tastes better than both the name suggests and Gatorade itself. Go try them, I recommend it. :)

Pocari Sweat isn't bad at all, neither is Calpis - we get both on occasion from our local Japanese mart. My son loves Calpis, especially in a six-pack of juice boxes. So for those 2, the drink itself isn't weird, it's just the naming. Japanese advertisers like to play fast & loose with English - in Spain, "Water Salad" would probably be called "Salada de Agua" or something and wouldn't make anyone's list.

As for Pocari Sweat, it does sound odd but not odd enough for a Top 10 list, just too much good competition 

I'm living in Japan for a year and at the supermarket yesterday we found wasabi flavored ramune (the pop with a marble sealing it) and curry flavored ramune... didn't dare try it.  Tried the ice cucumber tho, that stuff is wierd... the after-taste is artificial cucumber, wierd.

How about Malk?  Now with Vitamin R!

I've lived in Korea for 5 years and never seen Coolpis.  Gunna go shopping for it now on my pisbreak.  I'm guessing its a refrigerate after opening kinda beverage.  Nothing worse than lukewarmpis.

I think the coolpis Kimchi is a photoshop.  Coolpis is a real juice  that is available in any supermarket.  However, there is no Kimchi flavour available in South Korea.  Unless the Japanese really really love Kimchi?

that mother's milk sounds kinda cool. i wouldn't mind trying it...

Jones Soda has a few candidates for any similar lists covering North American beverages.  Turkey and gravy soda, pumpkin pie soda, brussel sprouts soda, cranberry soda, and pumpkin pie soda are some of their "contributions" to the industry.  Jonessoda[dot]com in case you're doubting it.