Asahi
Asahi Tests Limited Barley Tea Shochu Chuhai
Asahi Breweries will release a limited-edition canned chuhai called “Barley Tea High on a Sunny Day” through its “Asahi Imagination Development Bureau” test-sales site, starting April 14. Combining shochu with barley tea made from high-temperature roasted Rokujo barley, it produces what the company calls a refreshing taste with the aroma of barley tea. The 340ml cans contain 5% alcohol and are sold in six-packs, including shipping and tax. Asahi will collect customer questionnaires to inform future product development.
Brands
Asahi Renews Dry Zero Bubble Mug Can
Asahi Breweries renewed the contents and packaging of “Asahi Dry Zero Bubble Jokki Can,” a non-alcoholic beer-taste drink, releasing it for a limited time from May 12. It uses a “Bubble mug can” to generate fine bubbles when the lid opens. Television commercials titled “Joyful” will air in Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kyushu. The 340ml cans will be produced at the Ibaraki and Hakata plants and sold nationwide. According to INTAGE data, Dry Zero has led Japan’s non-alcoholic beverage market for 10 consecutive years since 2016.
Carlsberg
Carlsberg Imports Mythos Greek Lager To United Kingdom
Carlsberg began importing Mythos Greek lager to the UK, citing what the brewer calls a growing “appetite for Greek culture” in the country, mentioning in a LinkedIn post that 4.5 million Britons traveled to Greece in 2024. Carlsberg says that world beers continue to outperform the wider lager category, with Spanish- and Italian-style lagers driving momentum. Carlsberg also recently unveiled a worldwide marketing campaign for its French beer 1664, fronted by actor and brand ambassador Robert Pattinson.
Gorkha Brewery Acquires Raj Brewery In Nepal Consolidation
Carlsberg-backed Gorkha Brewery acquired 100% ownership of Raj Brewery in what Fiscal Nepal calls one of Nepal’s most notable mergers in the alcohol and FMCG sector. Under a cross-shareholding agreement, industrialist Raj Bahadur Shah took a 15% stake in Gorkha Brewery. Alongside the acquisition, Carlsberg announced an additional Rs 10 billion investment to expand capacity, including a new keg beer facility in Nawalparasi spread across 25 bighas. CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said Nepal offers strong growth potential.
Companies
Carlsberg Posts Solid First Quarter Organic Revenue Growth
Carlsberg reported strong Q1 2026 results, with organic revenue increasing 3.6% and reported revenue up 3%, including a 2.7% impact from the Britvic acquisition and a negative 3.3% currency impact. The Carlsberg brand grew 10%, driven by performance in premium markets including China and India, while overall premium beer volumes increased 3% organically. Soft drinks grew 10% organically and alcohol-free brews rose 7%, helped by a double-digit volume increase in Western Europe. CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen also highlighted the recently expanded PepsiCo partnership. Carlsberg reaffirmed full-year guidance of 2-6% organic growth.
Carlsberg Becomes PepsiCo Bottler Across Nordics And Baltics
Carlsberg Group announced expansion of its strategic partnership with PepsiCo, taking over as PepsiCo’s bottler in Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania starting January 2029. Carlsberg has been the PepsiCo bottler in Sweden and Norway for more than 25 years, and the new agreement extends the partnership across all Nordic markets and the Baltic states. Once the agreements take effect, Carlsberg will hold PepsiCo bottling appointments in 14 markets across Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.
On The Rocks Launches Two New Margarita Expressions
On The Rocks Bartender Created Cocktails, part of Suntory Global Spirits, launched two new RTD margaritas for the season: On The Rocks Passion Fruit Margarita, a limited-edition bottled cocktail, and On The Rocks Sparkling Watermelon Margarita, a permanent addition to the canned cocktails portfolio. Both are made with Hornitos Tequila. The Passion Fruit Margarita combines passion fruit with Hornitos Blanco Tequila, while the Sparkling Watermelon Margarita is made with Hornitos Blanco Tequila, house-made triple sec, and cane sugar. Both were crafted by On The Rocks Global Ambassador and mixologist Joaquin Simo.
Suntory Debuts Drinkable Supplement Series
Suntory Beverage & Food launched two new drinks in a “drinkable supplement” series in April, its first beverages built around supplement ingredients. “Locomoa WATER” and “Sesamin 1000” use supplements from Suntory Wellness. Locomoa WATER contains four ingredients, including chondroitin and quercetin glycosides, to support leg muscles and knee joints; Sesamin 1000 contains sesamin, a type of polyphenol derived from sesame. The launch is the first in Japan under Suntory’s “New Value Creation Project,” which aims to create and promote new value domestically and internationally and to expand the product lineup.
Suntory Boss Coffee Adds Resealable 500ml Bottle Format
Suntory Boss Coffee expanded its iced coffee range with a new 500ml resealable bottle format designed for “sip and savour” consumption moments rather than the quick-consumption occasion targeted by the brand’s canned products. There are two varieties: Iced Long Black and Iced Double Espresso. Morgan Loveridge from Suntory Boss said the company is challenging the packaged iced coffee status quo by “offering a more refreshing and smooth cafe-style coffee”.
Lotte
Lotte Chilsung Relaunches Kloud Crush As Light Beer
Lotte Chilsung Beverage is to relaunch beer brand “Kloud Crush” as a light beer, maintaining the original Crush beer’s young and trendy image while repositioning it to target consumers who want taste and function while reducing alcohol intake. Alcohol content is 4% and it contains about 25 kcal per 100 ml with zero sugar.
Lotte Chilsung Launches Jeju Matcha Ceylon Tea Latte
Lotte Chilsung Beverage released “Ceylon Tea Matcha Latte,” a new 340ml bottled RTD beverage that uses Jeju-grown matcha to deliver a subtle tea aroma, a clean taste and a deep flavor, with milk added for a smooth latte style. Lotte Chilsung will gradually expand channel coverage, starting with large discount stores and convenience stores nationwide.
Lotte Chilsung Sells Seoul Site To Strengthen Finances
Lotte Chilsung Beverage decided to sell its Yangpyeong-dong site in Seoul to Lotte Property & Development for about 280.5 billion won, according to a board resolution disclosed to the Financial Supervisory Service, with a scheduled disposal date of July 8 next year. The company said the sale will support financial strength and provide funds for future growth, as well as build a sustainable business model and strengthen its core business. Lotte Chilsung set a goal of lowering its consolidated debt ratio to 100% or less by 2030, from 168% as of 2025.
Lotte Launches Two New Soonhari Fruit Sparkling Sojus
Lotte Chilsung Beverage introduced two new fruit-flavored sparkling soju products, “Soonhari Yujajin” and “Soonhari Sangriajin”. Soonhari Yujajin is made by freeze-infusing whole yuzu from Goheung, Jeollanam-do and has an alcohol content of 4.5%. Soonhari Sangriajin is made by freeze-infusing whole apples and oranges, with a 7% alcohol content. Both come in 500ml cans and will be sold at discount supermarkets and convenience stores. A company representative said Lotte is strengthening its lineup amid growth in the fruit-flavored sparkling alcoholic beverage market.
Regulation
Heineken Unit Challenges Asahi’s EABL Acquisition
A regulatory complaint by Heineken subsidiary Kenya Wine Agencies Limited threatens to disrupt Asahi Group’s $2.3 billion acquisition of Diageo’s East African Breweries Limited. KWAL accuses EABL of abusing its dominant market position and asked the Competition Authority of Kenya to review the deal and impose conditions before approving it. KWAL alleges EABL locks distributors into exclusive agreements that allow it to dictate prices. The deal, announced in December, is still pending approvals from competition regulators in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Neither KWAL nor EABL responded to requests for comment.
RJ Corp
Varun Beverages Q1 Profit Rises 20%
Varun Beverages reported 20.1% growth in net profit for the quarter ended March 31. Consolidated sales volumes in India rose 14.4% and international markets posted 21.4% growth. Revenue from operations grew 18.4% year-on-year. Chairman Ravi Jaipuria said demand remained encouraging during the quarter, supported by the company’s wide distribution reach, strengthened execution and continued investments in manufacturing capacity and chilling infrastructure. The acquisition of Twizza in South Africa is expected to generate meaningful operational and commercial synergies over time.
Varun Beverages Plans $650M Investment In Zimbabwe
Varun Beverages Zimbabwe announced plans to invest an additional US$650 million in the country over the next three to four years, aligning its expansion with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 agenda. Undertaken with parent RJ Corporation and partners, including INOX Energy, it spans renewable energy, agriculture, manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods. Under its Carlsberg beer franchise and PepsiCo’s Cheetos brand, the company is working with Zimbabwean farmers on barley, malt and maize, introducing drone-assisted mechanized farming.
Suntory
Suntory Permanently Brings Back Lucozade Grafruitti Zero Sugar
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I permanently reintroduced Lucozade Energy Grafruitti following customer demand. It combines mixed berries, citrus notes, and what the brand calls an exotic twist, originally launched as a special edition in 2015. The relaunch comes in a zero-sugar version. Lucozade accounted for 8% of total Soft Drinks category growth in 2025, with value up 3.1% and volume up 3.3% in the energy category. A £2.3 million campaign called “back for the believers” kicked off in mid-March across social media, out-of-home, in-store and influencer activity. It’s available in 500ml and 900ml formats across grocery, convenience, wholesale and e-commerce.
More...
Copyright 2026 Business360, Inc.