Coca-Cola is releasing an alcoholic drink in the world’s most adventurous market: Japan

The ubiquitous beverage Goliath has announced that it will introduce an alcoholic drink, the first in the company’s 125-year history. Dubbed chūhai, the drink variety will be available only in Japan ...

The ubiquitous beverage Goliath has announced that it will introduce an alcoholic drink, the first in the company’s 125-year history.

Coca-Cola is releasing an alcoholic drink in the world’s most adventurous market: Japan

Dubbed chūhai, the drink variety will be available only in Japan — arguably the world’s most adventurous, eclectic market for new products.

A chūhai-splainer

Chūhai, also known as Chu-Hi, is an increasingly popular canned beverage in Japan, which blends shōchū (a vodka-like alcohol distilled from rice, potatoes, and barley) with sparkling water.

It’s anywhere from 3-8% alcohol by volume, comes in a variety of flavors (ranging from “yogurt” to “wild basil”), and appeals mainly to Japan’s female demographic.

The market’s been growing at a rate of 5-25% per year since 2013 — and now, Coca-Cola wants in.

Japan: an “unusually experimental” market

Coca-Cola first debuted in Japan in 1910 and has been widely available there since 1960 — but their carbonated soft drinks make up only about 25% of their overall sales there.

And there’s a reason for that: Japanese consumers place a very high premium on “trying new things.” Many businesses in Japan operate on the principle of kaizen, a style of innovation that encourages constantly “changing for the better” by introducing new products.

Last year alone, Coca-Cola released over 100 different products in Japan — and now they’re getting back on the wagon with their first alcoholic product.

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