Satsuma Shuzo, Satsuma Red, Sweet Potato Happoshu, 4.5%, 330ml
Pre-order: due to arrive in the UK in late October 2026
A purple sweet potato brew with pink foam and a clean, refreshing finish.
Sold only to customers aged 18 or over.
Satsuma Red is a beer-style happoshu from Satsuma Shuzo in Kagoshima, brewed with purple sweet potato, malt and hops. The purple potato gives it a clear purple-red colour and a pale pink head, and the maker describes a refined aroma and a refreshing taste. 4.5% ABV, 330ml.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Colour from the potato: purple sweet potato gives the purple-red body and pink foam
- Refreshing: a light, clean drink at 4.5%
- Sweet potato brewed: made with sweet potato alongside malt and hops
- Kyushu-only in Japan: the maker sells the range only in Kyushu
How to Use
- Well chilled: straight from the fridge into a glass
- With Japanese food: karaage, yakitori, gyoza and grilled fish
- With spice: cuts through chilli and rich, salty snacks
- As a talking point: a beer style most UK drinkers have not tried
Happoshu (発泡酒) is a Japanese tax category for beer-style drinks that fall outside the legal definition of beer, for example because they use ingredients other than malt, hops and water. Satsuma Shuzo (薩摩酒造), a shochu maker in Kagoshima, uses that freedom to brew with sweet potato, the crop southern Kyushu is known for, alongside malt and hops. In Japan the Satsuma range is sold only in Kyushu.
What does Satsuma Red taste like?
The maker describes a refined aroma and a refreshing taste. It is a light, clean brew, and the purple sweet potato shows most clearly in the colour. Our own tasting notes will be added when the stock lands.
Product Details
| Type | Happoshu (発泡酒), sweet potato beer-style drink |
| Style | Purple sweet potato brew |
| Maker | Satsuma Shuzo (薩摩酒造), Kagoshima, Japan |
| Alcohol | 4.5% vol |
| Volume | 330ml bottle |
| Colour | Purple-red with a pale pink head |
| Ingredients and Allergens | To follow. Always check the bottle label |
| Age Restriction | Sold only to customers aged 18 or over |
What is happoshu?
Happoshu is a Japanese tax category rather than a style. It covers beer-like drinks that do not meet the legal definition of beer in Japan, often because of their ingredients. Satsuma's use sweet potato alongside malt and hops, which is why the maker classes them as happoshu.
Where does the colour come from?
From the purple sweet potato it is brewed with. The potato gives the purple-red body and the pale pink foam.
When will my pre-order arrive?
This line is due to arrive in the UK in late October 2026. Pre-orders are dispatched once the stock has landed and been checked in at our warehouse. Anything still marked "To follow" on this page will be added when the stock is in.
SKU : X5014