Happoshu (発泡酒 happōshu lit. "bubbling spirits"), or low-malt beer, is a tax category of Japanese liquor that most often refers to a beer-like beverage with less than 67% malt content. The alcoholic beverage is popular among consumers for having a lower tax than beverages that the nation's law classifies as "beer." Although the happoshu label is most frequently found on low-malt beer or beer-like products, alcopops that contain malt are also categorized as happoshu. In July 2012, Suntory, which had been the first company to sell happoshu, announced that it will stop selling it by Autumn 2012.