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Suntory to use Australia as case study for canned cocktail expansion
The Japanese multinational brewer and distiller plans to use Australia as a “reference case” for introducing canned alcoholic cocktails into other global markets.
Makiko Ono, president and CEO, Suntory Beverage & Food Limited, has said that the company will use its new Suntory Oceania subsidiary to trial the introduction of ready-to-drink beverages.
Suntory Oceania will oversee the manufacturing, sales, and distribution for its portfolio of 40 leading drinks brands including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Hibiki Japanese Whisky, and Canadian Club Whisky.
On the alcohol-free side, juices, soft drinks and sports drinks including, Orangina, Lucozade and Ribena, will reach the ANZ market through Suntory Oceania, as well as coffee and water brands.
The new business is expected to be fully operational by mid-2025 in Australia and by 2026 in New Zealand.
It will also give rise to the group’s commitment to introduce more RTDs into its offering.
“As a beverage company, this is our first time to make RTDs, so I think this will be a new model we can use in markets such as Europe,” said Ono, according to Reuters. “I would like to use Australian as a reference case.”
The company is considering building a factory in Australia’s northeastern city of Brisbane to produce canned drinks, including its BOSS brand of coffee and its RTD cocktail 195 Double Lemon, debuted in 2021.