Fizzy, sweet and cold — there's not much difference in my mind.
The word ramune derives (as you can guess) from "lemonade". More info here...
Whereas saidaa [サイダー] obviously derives from "cider." But what it is, in fact, is a clear carbonated drink flavoured (usually) with lemon. So it's lemonade.
While the biggest and best known Japanese saidaa maker is Mitsuya, there is an ongoing mini boom in regional brands — what has come to be known as ji-saidaa [地サイダー]. This is the selection in Tokyu Hands' summer goods section right now...
Which to choose? Like I said, they all taste pretty much the same, so I just pick a design I like. Maybe something retro...
Or perhaps a classic sake-bottle design, with washi-look label...
This one caught my eye. It's called Chaider. Which is of course a very Japanese elision of 'cha' (green tea) and 'cider'. It's the old-fashioned label, harking back to Hiroshima's pre-WW2 industrial glory perhaps, that really grabs me.
Watch this space — there are plenty more saidaa days to come this summer!
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