Lucozade and Ribena producer Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I is expanding into the ready-to-drink alcohol market with the launch of Japanese brand -196 in Great Britain.
The beverage giant will launch two flavours of the vodka-based drink, lemon and grapefruit, which both have a 6% alcohol content.
The -196 brand was first launched by Suntory Holdings in Japan in 2005 and has since rolled out in Australia in 2021 and in China last year.
However, the expansion will see the pre-mix alcohol brand launching in Great Britain in April, alongside Germany, the US and Southeast Asia.
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The name is a reference to Suntory’s proprietary freeze crush infusion technology, as the process freezes whole fruit by using liquid nitrogen at -196°C and the frozen zest, pulp and juice are then crushed into powder and infused with vodka.
Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I chief operating officer Carol Robert said: “This launch marks a significant move for us into the ready-to-drink alcohol market and is part of a much bigger strategy for portfolio growth. We’re very proud of our Japanese heritage and honoured to be launching one of Suntory’s iconic brands in our business for the first time.”
Sales director Alpesh Mistry added: “It’s our first step into alcohol but with years selling some of the UK’s most popular soft drinks and the continued strong performance of our brands, we know we can make it a success.
“We have a number of people in our business who bring great previous experience of the alcohol market, so know we’re in a strong position to bring this exciting launch to consumers.”
