Suntory Holdings, a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group, has doubled its projected sales for its newest alcohol-free beverage, which translated from Japanese is called 'Evening Drink Lemon Sour Non-Alcoholic.' Now, the company plans to distribute 2 million cases throughout the country, up from 2021's 980,000 cases.
First launched last March, the new sour lemon beverage was a notable success due, in large part, to its ability to target two emerging markets: Japan's 'no and low' alcohol segment and the burgeoning "umami" drink space. To produce the unique savory taste of umami, the beverage uses non-alcoholic flavoring extracts from shochu, a popular Japanese alcohol distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar.
In addition, the revised sales predictions see Suntory rolling out a six-pack version of the drink to appeal to bulk buyers.
Image Credit: Suntory Holdings
What's Driving This Trend
- Umami-heavy Lemon Drinks
- The success of Suntory Holding's Shochu-based beverage in the 'no and low' alcohol segment and umami drink space presents an opportunity for other companies to explore this flavor combination.
- Bulk-packaging Non-alcoholic Drinks
- The introduction of a six-pack version of Suntory's Evening Drink Lemon Sour Non-Alcoholic shows the potential for exploring bulk packaging in the non-alcoholic drink market.
- Flavoring Extracts From Traditional Alcohols
- The use of non-alcoholic flavoring extracts from shochu in Suntory's beverage creates an opportunity for other alcohol manufacturers to explore this use of their traditional products in non-alcoholic beverages.
Who This Affects Most
- Non-alcoholic Beverages
- Suntory's success in the 'no and low' alcohol segment with its Evening Drink Lemon Sour Non-Alcoholic presents a growing opportunity for companies in the non-alcoholic beverage industry that can cater to this market.
- Alcohol Manufacturing
- The use of non-alcoholic flavoring extracts from shochu by Suntory presents an opportunity for other alcohol manufacturers to explore new revenue streams in the non-alcoholic drink space.
- Packaging
- The introduction of a six-pack version of Suntory's Evening Drink Lemon Sour Non-Alcoholic shows the potential for exploring bulk packaging in the non-alcoholic drink market and presents an opportunity for companies in the packaging industry to cater to this need.
