Japan is facing a severe shortage of its most popular beer, Asahi Super Dry, due to a cyber attack that disrupted production. The attack, which occurred earlier this week, has caused significant issues for the company, halting its ability to process orders, manage deliveries, and provide customer service.

Retail stores across the country are warning customers that the beloved beer may soon be unavailable. Lawson, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, stated that stocks of Asahi products could plummet as early as tomorrow. Additionally, an executive at another retail outlet confirmed that supplies of Super Dry would likely run out within two to three days, leaving many consumers anxious over the impending shortage.

Despite a trend of declining beer consumption in Japan over the last two decades, the country still consumes an impressive 296.9 billion bottles of beer annually, averaging about 54.4 large bottles per person. In 2024 alone, Asahi sold 73 million cases of Super Dry domestically, alongside significant sales of its alcohol-free Style Free and Clear Asahi beers.

This incident has caused a ripple effect in the beverage industry, further fueling a culture of panic buying among consumers. The cyber attack has been confirmed to only affect operations within Japan, and Asahi has reassured its customers that its European operations, including supply chains to the UK, remain unaffected.

The brewing company has not specified when its systems will be restored and has stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest that any customer data has been compromised. This attack is part of a broader pattern of cyber incidents affecting various companies worldwide, with significant companies like Jaguar Land Rover and Marks & Spencer also recently falling victim to similar attacks.

For more details about the situation, see the full report at The Telegraph.