, an abbreviation of "shà Âchà « highball" (ç¼é ÂãÂÂã¤ãÂÂã¼ã«), is an alcoholic drink originating from Japan.
Traditional chà «hai is made with barley shà Âchà « and carbonated water flavored with lemon, but some modern commercial variants use vodka in place of shà Âchà «, and beverage companies have diversified into a variety of flavors, including lime, grapefruit, apple, orange, pineapple, grape, kyoho grape, kiwi, ume, yuzu, lychee, peach, strawberry cream, and cream soda.
The alcohol content of chà «hai sold in bars and restaurants can be quite low, allowing those with a low tolerance for alcohol to drink safely. Canned chà «hai, however, can have higher levels of alcohol and is often sold in convenience stores and from vending machines. Although the amount varies (usually starting at 3%), canned chà «hai contains less than 10% alcohol in Japan, as anything higher triggers a higher tax rate. Chà «hai is served in tall glasses or mugs as drinks for individuals, making it less social than other traditional Japanese bar drinks like sake, beer, or whisky, which can be shared by pouring portions from a large bottle. Fresh chà «hai or is also sometimes served, featuring fresh-squeezed juice; in some cases guests squeeze their own juice. Due to the high sugar content, the number of calories in each bottle can be quite high compared to other alcoholic beverages.
In March 2018, Coca-Cola announced it would begin selling a chà «hai product in Japan called .
Takara Sake produces three flavors (white peach, lychee and grapefruit) of canned chuhai under the JPOP label that are available in the United States. Sangaria also produces two flavors (lemon and grapefruit) of canned chuhai for the US market.
Yabai, based out of Santa Monica, CA, is America's first domestic chu-hai. Currently they are offered in three flavors, are 5% ABV, and made with imported shochu.