麦酒 / beer (old word)
麦酒 (bakushu or bīru) is the kanji representation of beer, literally meaning “barley alcohol.” While modern Japanese usually writes beer in katakana as ビール, 麦酒 appears in traditional branding, craft breweries, or old-style signage to evoke a nostalgic or classic feel. It’s a stylistic way of referring to the same everyday drink, but with a touch of retro charm.
Curious to hear more about it? Want to learn how to pronounce it? Watch or listen to Episode 99 using the below link 