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Wherever Welsh rugby fans go, there will be beer.

At the Rugby World Cup in Japan they’re even able to quench their thirst with a taste of home.

Porthmadog's Purple Moose Brewery recently dispatched nine pallets, containing 10,560 bottles of beer, to Tokyo.

And Wrexham Lager has proved so popular the brewery has had to ship extra air deliveries of its amber nectar.

Earlier this year Wrexham Lager sealed a deal to supply Japanese importers at the Welsh Government's BlasCymru / TasteWales trade event in Newport.

Now that the World Cup is underway, it’s having to brew additional stock to keep up with demand.

“The response since then has been incredible,” said managing director Mark Roberts.

“We had already shipped bottles out ahead of the tournament but they sold out within a few days.

“So we sent out a second load by air cargo – which then sold out within 24 hours.

“We have now sent another load by air cargo, and we expect to repeat the process over the next few weeks.”

Beer is not the only Welsh export in demand. Aber Falls shipped a range of gins and liqueurs to Japan following a Welsh Government trade visit.

The Abergwyngregyn distillery is hoping to gain a foothold in the country.

“With our whisky due for launch in 2021, Japan will be a very important market,” said managing director James Wright.

Welsh Beers and Spirits Available in Japan Ready for World Cup | @PurpleMooseBrew @aberdistillery https://t.co/F482bcdfVs — Business News Wales (@WalesBusiness) September 16, 2019

Neither is Japan’s thirst for Welsh goodies restricted to alcohol.

Pwllheli’s Welsh Lady Preserves has also made inroads ahead of the World Cup, stocking its curds, jams and savoury treats in five of Japan’s supermarkets.

And for more genteel rugby fans, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo ordered in Welsh Lady strawberry jam pots for its afternoon tea menu.

More distribution deals are in the pipeline and the company is looking to launch bespoke Japanese products with the help of the Welsh Embassy in Tokyo.

“What’s obvious is their need for smaller pots!” said owner Carol Jones, who, with husband John, launched the firm on the cusp of another big sporting tournament, the 1966 Football World Cup.

It’s not just Welsh rugby fans who are demanding the country's food and drink products, in Japan or elsewhere.

Wrexham Lager's Mr Roberts believes others are developing a taste for it too.

A Finnish importer has placed an order and the brewery is in talks with other European businesses.

“The tie-in with the Rugby World Cup has naturally boosted interest,” he said.

“We hope we can capitalise on this and build on the success in the months and years to come.”