Eclipse Beverages shows dividends of people-centred approach
As companies increasingly look to Asian markets for growth potential, Eclipse Beverages is proving the value of local expertise and connections in its route-to-market services.
Breaking into Asian markets is a common goal among drinks brands. After all, Asia ticks many boxes that suggest growth potential. Expanding populations, growing disposable income and a healthy melange of mature and developing markets are a tempting proposition. Realising the potential, however, is a serious challenge.
For starters, there is no single Asia. The difference between Hong Kong – a mature market and investment hub – and the exciting growth seen in Vietnam is huge. A company may well find success in each, but hitting both with the same strategy would be close to impossible.
Then there is culture to consider. Each market has different tax structures, consumer preferences and ways of doing business. Even for local enterprises, the changes can be difficult to navigate. For producers who, for instance, are accustomed to working across a single European market with strong regulatory and cultural alignment, the challenge is compounded.
When trying to enter Asian markets, local knowledge matters. At every stage, from consulting on opportunities to finding a route to market to advocating for a brand, it is the human touch and market-specific knowledge that will determine eventual success.
A plug-and-play solution
With more than 35 years of experience in Asian markets, Eclipse Beverages certainly has the market-specific knowledge to guide entrants to Asian markets. As part of Metagroup, it draws on experience across one of Asia-Pacific’s leading food and beverage specialist companies. Yet its laser-focus on route-to-market ensures that companies looking to expand can leverage that competitive advantage.
Eclipse Beverages therefore offers a people-centred approach that finds brands the right partners and ensures that launches are successful. When you are entering new territories, you need to have your finger on the pulse: Eclipse Beverages’ team, spread across key markets, prevents overstretching of resources by already having experts on the ground to offer timely, market-specific insights.
The efficiency on offer is key. To enter a new Asian market under your own steam would mean assembling a team that either needs time to acclimatise to the local conditions or has high hiring costs due to existing expertise.
As a plug-and-play route-to-market specialist, Eclipse Beverages instead has the existing networks and understanding to tailor regional strategies from the very beginning. With its team already in key markets and working on them every day, there is no need to get up to speed. Whatever a brand’s current position and the scale of its targets, Eclipse Beverages can meet it there and move it forward.
Quite plainly, that saves time and energy. The serious work of strategising can begin immediately and confidently. It also means that companies can approach Asian markets with ambition. There are too many stories of companies investing heavily in opening markets, only to retreat a couple of years later when it is not all plain sailing. With the assurance of expert local partners, brands can approach Asia both with bold plans and a prudent approach to please the CFO.
From beginning to end
Something that marks out Eclipse Beverages is its holistic approach. Led by its focus on the people behind brands – not to mention behind sales – it provides tailored services that follow a company’s trajectory entering new markets.
In the first instance, that means identifying the most relevant markets and exploring their particular demands. There may not be a single obvious ‘best-in-class’ importer for a product; instead, it is a question of understanding both sides of a partnership to establish the best fit.
With that decision made, Eclipse Beverages can then employ its commercial expertise. From finessing logistics operations to offering reporting services, it helps to develop the structures that ensure success after the ink is dried.
Yet Eclipse Beverages goes beyond simply opening up markets. Its strong emphasis on advocacy and marketing means that it doesn’t just introduce brands, it also adds value to them.
That changes according to the location. In a more mature market, pushing a brand might involve tailored investment and segmented digital marketing strategies. If the industry is still evolving, the strategy will hit the fundamentals: brand assets, staff training and sales support.
Crucially, the networks that Eclipse Beverages has built over decades mean that it can adapt to a brand’s needs. With its own team on the ground, as well as connections within the industry who can provide specialist support, it can provide a sure footing no matter the brand and no matter the market.
Bringing Cincoro Tequila to Asia
To understand Eclipse Beverages’ approach, you only have to look at the work it has already done. A prime example is its strategy to introduce Cincoro Tequila to key local markets.
The brand, a project from five National Basketball Association (NBA) team owners, aims to set a gold standard in the Tequila category through its farms in the highlands and lowland of Jalisco and its small-batch process. Initially founded in 2019, it began its international expansion in late 2023, identifying Asia Pacific as a key strategic growth region.
Eclipse Beverages worked to launch Cincoro into eight key Asia Pacific markets: South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Cambodia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia.
It used its knowledge of the Asian drinks industry to promote the brand to prospective partners in 2025. By exhibiting Cincoro at Bar Convent Singapore, including a scheduled tasting session, Eclipse Beverages secured visibility among buyers, distributors, and industry professionals.
This year, Eclipse Beverages has transformed that momentum into a series of high-profile market launches, each tailored to local consumer preferences while maintaining Cincoro’s premium positioning.
In Hong Kong, it curated two launch experiences. A Tequila pairing dinner at Carbone introduced key members of the trade, media, and influencer community to the brand.This was followed by an exclusive launch event at The 33 Club, featuring a curated agave experience led by Jay Khan, co-founder of COA Hong Kong – one of the World’s 50 Best Bars – alongside a DJ set by Deron. The event also marked the Hong Kong debut of the limited-edition Travis Scott collaboration, Cincoro Jack.
“We are delighted to partner with Eclipse Beverages to introduce Cincoro Tequila to Hong Kong and Macau,” commented Quentin Job, managing Director, international at Cincoro Tequila.
“The prestige Tequila category has experienced exceptional growth in Hong Kong, significantly outperforming the broader spirits market as consumers continue to diversify their preferences and seek elevated tequila experiences.”
In South Korea, Eclipse Beverages capitalised on a strong market for prestige spirits. Working with local partners, it launched the Cincoro Jack through KREAM, South Korea’s leading marketplace for luxury and collectible products, where the allocation sold out in under 10 seconds. The limited-edition bottle was also showcased at KREAM’s flagship YOSAE store in Seoul, generating further excitement around the brand and reinforcing Cincoro’s premium positioning.
Cambodia, meanwhile, has emerged as an exciting market for prestige tequila, with increasingly sophisticated consumer tastes and growing interest in premium spirits.
To introduce Cincoro, Eclipse Beverages aligned the launch with the Phnom Penh Cocktail Festival at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, one of the country’s leading hospitality events. By launching the brand at a key industry gathering, The team ensured Cincoro was introduced to the bartenders, buyers, distributors, and hospitality leaders who are shaping the country’s evolving premium spirits landscape.
As Cincoro continues its expansion across APAC markets, Eclipse Beverages is continuing its signature service. Whether introducing a brand to buyers, mastermind a launch or finding the right collaboration partners, it is helping ever more brands find their place in complex yet rewarding Asian markets.
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