Magners Irish Cider Beer: A Taste of Ireland in Japan

The Roppongi pub is exactly what it should be: dark wood, a match on the screen, and a pint glass filled with pale-gold cider over ice. Someone ordered before you had a chance to decide. It is Friday, which in Ireland marks the beginning of something rather than the end of a week.

If that familiar relief — the pint, the pub, the moment the working week stops — feels far away in Tokyo, it does not have to stay that way. Magners comes in bottles and kegs, and Omori Mart delivers it to your door in Japan.

Ninety Years of Cider from County Tipperary

Magners Irish Cider comes from Bulmers Ltd, part of the C&C Group. Its roots date back to 1935 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, in southern Ireland. The town sits in apple-growing country, where cider-making has a long tradition.

Magners is a pale-gold apple cider with a crisp apple character and a balanced sweet-dry finish. It has gentler carbonation than many lagers. This profile suits the brand’s signature serving method: pour the cider over a full glass of ice in a pint glass. The ice chills the drink and gradually dilutes it, moderating the sweetness and extending the drinking experience.

Magners popularised this over-ice serving ritual through its marketing in the early 2000s. The method helped change how people enjoyed cider across Ireland and the UK. It also became a familiar way to serve the brand internationally.

Magners reaches markets across Europe, North America, and Asia. At Omori Mart, you can choose between two formats: 330 ml bottles for individual servings and a 30-litre keg for gatherings and larger occasions.

How Magners Irish Cider Is Enjoyed at Home

Sláinte! (SLAWN-cha) is Irish Gaelic for “health.” It is the toast people raise at pub counters and kitchen tables across Ireland. The gesture includes a raised glass and eye contact, signalling that the round has properly begun. At a St. Patrick’s Day gathering or a Friday pub session, the toast returns whenever someone refills a glass.

Traditional Irish Food Pairings

Irish stew is a classic pub-meal pairing. It combines lamb, potatoes, and root vegetables, slow-cooked and served in a deep bowl with brown bread on the side. Magners’ sweet-dry apple finish balances the richness of the lamb broth. Its gentle carbonation also allows the cider to complement the meal without overwhelming it.

Fish and chips are another essential pairing. The Friday tradition has historical links to Catholic abstinence from meat, although today many people simply enjoy it as a familiar pub meal. Battered cod, chips, and vinegar work naturally with cider. The apple notes provide a refreshing contrast, much like a squeeze of lemon on the fish.

Boxty, the traditional Irish potato pancake, offers a third pairing. It predates the modern pub tradition and has strong roots in farmhouse cooking. Its simple, savoury flavour makes it a natural companion to apple cider.

Friday pub sessions remain an important part of Irish social life. St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, is another major occasion for enjoying Magners. In Tokyo, Irish pubs welcome celebrants who gather for the festivities and the annual parade.

How to Drink Magners in Japan

The over-ice method works in Japan just as it does at home. Fill a pint glass with ice, pour the Magners slowly over it, and let it settle for around thirty seconds before drinking. You can buy bags of ice at convenience stores such as Lawson and FamilyMart, making this serving style easy to recreate at home.

For a quick food pairing, try Magners with a FamilyMart apple-and-chicken sandwich. The apple notes in the cider complement the sandwich’s fruity sweetness without competing with its savoury filling. It is a simple combination that takes less than a minute to prepare.

For a sit-down meal, try Magners alongside tonkatsu at a dedicated tonkatsu restaurant. This panko-crusted pork cutlet usually comes with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. Its crisp coating and rich pork flavour follow the same fried-food-and-cider pairing principle as fish and chips in Ireland.

The cider’s sweet-dry finish helps balance the richness of the pork. Meanwhile, its apple notes complement the fruity undertones of the sauce, offering an interesting alternative to a standard lager.

Spring is a natural season for celebrating Irish culture in Japan. St. Patrick’s Day arrives in March, bringing Tokyo’s Irish community together for parades and pub gatherings. A keg of Magners can add a familiar taste of home to a celebration with friends.

At an Irish pub in Roppongi, a pint of Magners may cost around ¥1,000 to ¥1,400, depending on the venue. Ordering bottles or a keg from Omori Mart may reduce the cost per serving.

Get Magners Irish Cider Delivered in Japan

Magners Irish Cider Beer is available at Omori Mart in two formats — 330ml x 24 bottles and a 30L keg — with nationwide delivery across Japan.

Free shipping on orders over ¥15,000
Konbini payment accepted at FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, and Lawson — plus bank transfer and card
Nationwide delivery

Rakuten and Amazon Japan do not carry Magners or other Irish home-country brands. Omori Mart does.

[Shop Magners Irish Cider Beer →]

Sláinte in Clonmel, pale gold over ice since 1935. Kanpai (乾杯) in Tokyo, where the Friday pub session and the Japanese izakaya tradition meet closer than either culture usually admits. The glass connects both.