Coca-Cola India likely to enter alcoholic beverage segment with Lemon-Dou: Report
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Dec 11, 2023, 2:34 PM ISTCoca-Cola India has been reportedly working on entering the alcoholic beverage segment in the country with the introduction of Lemon-Dou, a global alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage. Lemon-Dou, originating from Japan where it is known as a chuhai cocktail, is a distinctive blend of shochu, a distilled liquor similar to brandy and vodka.
Coca-Cola India has made its first foray into the alcohol business, releasing Lemon-Dou, their worldwide alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage. According to reports, the business has begun pilot testing of Lemon-Dou in Goa and select areas of Maharashtra.
According to a report by ET, the company is currently conducting pilot tests of Lemon-Dou, a beverage from its worldwide portfolio, in select states across India. Lemon-Dou, known as ‘Chuhai, introduced in Japan in 2018, marked Coca-Cola’s inaugural venture into the ready-to-drink alcohol category, aligning with its identity as a ‘beverages company.’ Lemon-Dou is a blend of shochu, a distilled liquor with similarities to brandy and vodka, combined with lime. During the test launch phase, Coca-Cola intends to charge Rs 230 for a 250 ml can of Lemon-Dou.
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Lemon-Duo is also planned to be available in China and the Philippines, in addition to Japan and now India. Coca-Cola and Pernod Ricard, a major spirits maker, announced a cooperation in October this year to sell Absolut vodka and Sprite as a ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktail in 2024.
Commencing in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, and Germany, the product will be named Absolut & Sprite. The concoction will feature Pernod’s Absolut premium vodka combined with Coca-Cola’s lemon-lime soft drinks, Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar, the report added.
Coca-Cola's foray into the alcoholic drinks segment in India comes more than three decades after the company re-entered the Indian market. The decision aligns with Coca-Cola's vision as a "total beverages company," catering to diverse consumer preferences beyond soft drinks. Moreover, the alcoholic beverage sector in India is highly regulated and heavily taxed, with pricing controlled by individual states.
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