Snack Nation: Tea Sparkling

The aristocratic woman in black on the red ribbon seal -- who we suspect is the Dutchess of Bedford -- makes you feel bad about the loss of propriety in tea drinking caused by carbonation.

Kirin's Afternoon Tea series is a standard of the convenience store circuit. But perhaps Straight Tea, Lemon Tea and Milk Tea were not enough to keep up with the insane flavor maelstroms swirling around them on the shelves. In response, Kirin has launched its own off-putting drink: Tea Sparkling. Yes, this is a bottle of carbonated tea.

Purists will surely argue that tea or coffee should never be carbonated under any circumstances. We would concur in principle, but Tea Sparkling manages to be much more appealing than you would assume.

The effect is more like a "tea soda," with a finely-grained carbonation and slight citrus kick. Actually, Tea Sparkling is saved as a beverage by Afternoon Tea's usual downside: the over-the-top sweetness. Between the bubbles and sucrose, Tea Sparkling feels familiar, like a light apple-flavored soda. The bitter aftertaste, however, is all Darjeeling.

Tea Sparkling could also serve the purpose of letting children drink a beer-like golden sudsy beverage that is not actually beer. Wait, Japan already has Children's Beer, so I guess Tea Sparkling will be reserved for those who need their tea to be carbonated.

Kirin Afternoon Tea Tea Sparkling, ¥140

W. David Marx is CNNGo's Tokyo City Editor. Originally hailing from the American South, David studied East Asian Studies in New England and then worked for the magazine Tokion in the Lower East Side. After moving to Tokyo in 2003, he has completed a M.A. in Consumer Behavior, worked for an ad agency, written freelance for magazines such as GQ, Brutus, Weekly Diamond, and Nylon, founded numerous niche blogs, and recorded two albums on New York-based indie labels.

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