Kirin expects a 0.4 percent drop in beer sales volume this year

Asahi said its domestic beer sales during 2009 came to 177.0 million cases, down 2.5 percent year-on-year, while Kirin’s annual beer sales amounted to 176.8 million cases, down 1.9 percent. One case is equivalent to 12.66 litres of beer.

Beer shipment data during the January-September period showed Kirin leading Asahi thanks largely to the popularity of lower-priced, non-malt Happoshu beer brands, dubbed "the third beer." Third beers are subject to lower taxation because they are made from ingredients other than malt.

But the full year data suggest Asahi successfully gained momentum toward the year-end shopping season, partly due to the unflagging popularity of its "Super Dry" brand, Japan’s best-selling beer, media reports claim.