Coca-Cola has c**sen ***an to launch its first alco**lic beverage, debuting on Monday a fizzy, lemon-flavored concoction called Lemon-Do that seeks to capitalize on the growing popularity of chūhai drinks.
Alt**ugh the U.S. firm dabbled in the wine business in the 1970s, this expe***ent is “unique” in the company’s 125-year history, Coca-Cola ***an President Jorge Garduno said.
Three new Lemon-Do drinks, containing 3, 5 and 7 percent alco**l, are now available in Kyushu.
A 350-m***iliter can w*** set you back ¥150 ($1.4 or Ksh140). “This is a pilot project in the region, which has a sizable market,” said Masaki Iida, a spokesman for Coca-Cola ***an Co. Ltd.
He declined to reveal the exact spirit in the drink, as the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Coca-Cola product developers got the idea after visiting ***anese-style izakaya pubs, where they discovered that lemon-flavored drinks are very popular, according to the firm’s website.
Chūhai drinks — which contain vodka or shōchu, a dist***ed, grain-based spirit — come in a range of flavors such as g****, strawberry, kiwi and white peach.
They range in strength from 3 to 9 percent alco**l and are particularly popular with young drinkers, especially women.
Coca-Cola is ***ing into an already compe***ive market, where major companies such as Suntory **ldings Limited, Kirin **ldings Co. and Asahi Group **ldings Ltd. dominate the shelves.
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The firm’s president has already dampened **pes of people looking to get the tipple outside ***an, saying there are no plans to launch Lemon-Do elsewhere.
**wever, the push is seen as part of a broader campaign to diversify beyond sodas as health-conscious consu**** in the U.S. and other develo*** markets wean themselves off sweet drinks and ***t colas.
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