Coca-Cola is launching its first alcoholic drink ever, exclusively in Japan, and the new Chu-Hi may add some fizz to sales of its other cold-drink products marketed just there, including coffees, teas and even a laxative version of Coke.
The company calls Chu-Hic – a canned sparkling flavored drink made with a distilled grain-based alcohol called shochu – an experiment, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Jorge Garduño, president of Coca-Cola’s Japan unit, said in an interview published on the company’s website that the company was trying to push the boundaries to meet the consumers’ needs.
“We haven’t experimented in the low alcohol category before, but it’s an example of how we continue to explore opportunities outside our core areas,” he said. “Coca-Cola has always focused entirely on non-alcoholic beverages, and this is a modest experiment for a specific slice of our market.”
Last November Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog forecasted that Coca-Cola could move into alcohol, the BBC News reported.
While many may be excited about the new product, people outside of Japan should not get too excited about finding the alcoholic beverages on their shelves.
“I don’t think people around the world should expect to see this kind of thing from Coca-Cola,” Garduño said.
“While many markets are becoming more like Japan, I think the culture here is still very unique and special, so many products that are born here will stay here.”
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