Horoyoi ume soda ($4.50)!
Tuesday Iroha Mart — Horoyoi ume soda $4.50. Suntory's chuhai in plum-soda flavour at the Japanese convenience store.
Tuesday evening drinks pickup — Horoyoi ume soda at $4.50 at Iroha Mart. Suntory’s iconic Japanese chuhai (cocktail-in-a-can) in the plum-soda flavour, picked up at the Japanese convenience store.
We ordered:
- Horoyoi ume soda — $4.50
Iroha Mart is the Japanese convenience store chain in Singapore (similar to FamilyMart or 7-Eleven Japan). The stores stock the full range of Japanese-imported snacks, drinks, instant foods, and convenience-store staples. Different from the regular Singapore convenience stores, Iroha Mart specifically caters to the Japanese product range — including the chilled chuhai cans in the cooler section.
Horoyoi (ほろよい) is Suntory’s iconic Japanese chuhai (チューハイ) brand. “Chuhai” is the Japanese category of pre-mixed canned cocktails made with shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) + soda + fruit flavouring. Horoyoi specifically targets the lower-alcohol-tier (3% ABV) for the easy-drinking session market — different from the Strong Zero category (9% ABV) which targets the stronger-cocktail market.
The Horoyoi lineup includes multiple fruit flavour variants:
- Ume (plum) — the traditional Japanese ume flavour
- Lemon, peach, white grape, apple
- Strawberry, melon, lychee
- Seasonal limited-edition flavours (sakura, mango, etc.)
The ume (梅) variant is the most distinctively Japanese flavour. Ume plums are the Japanese sour-pickled plum (umeboshi base ingredient), used across Japanese cuisine for the sour-salty-floral character. The Horoyoi ume soda captures the proper ume flavour with the slight tartness balanced against the sweet soda body.
At $4.50, this is the standard Singapore convenience store pricing for the Horoyoi can. The 350ml can size is the standard chuhai format. The 3% ABV keeps the alcohol light enough for casual sipping rather than the proper drinking session.
The Tuesday evening drinks pickup at Iroha Mart is part of the casual at-home rotation. Different from the bar-and-restaurant drinks (which is the social drinking format), the convenience store chuhai is the simple-and-portable at-home option. Pick up a can or two during the regular shopping run, enjoy at home over dinner or after.
The Horoyoi ume soda specifically captures the proper Japanese summer drink character. The plum-soda flavour profile is refreshing in the Singapore weather — light enough not to feel heavy, with the proper Japanese flavour authenticity that the international cocktail brands can’t replicate.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid Horoyoi ume soda chuhai pickup — would re-stock.
