Coca-Cola Moves into Alcohol

It’ll be in Japan and it will be shochu, a vodka-like distillation of rice, barley and potatoes. 

It will be Coca-Cola’s first low-calorie alcoholic drink in the company’s 125-year history.

“It makes sense to give this a try in our market,” Jorge Garduño, president of Coca-Cola’s Japan business unit said. “But I don’t think people around the world should expect to see this kind of thing from Coca-Cola.”

The Financial Times says “Chu-Hi canned drinks mostly range in alcohol content between 3% and 8% — a profile that has put them in direct competition with beer and proved particularly attractive to female drinkers. The appeal of Chu-Hi has been enhanced by the relentless trial-and-error approach by major Japanese producers Kirin, Asahi, Takara and Suntory, which have released flavors that include yoghurt, acerola and wild basil.”

This entry was posted in New Products, Spirits and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.