Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
The company will launch two flavours of the brand, Lemon and Grapefruit, both with 6% alcohol content.
The -196 brand name is a reference to the use of Suntory’s proprietary freeze-crush infusion technology. This process freezes the 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.
Carol Robert, chief operating officer at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I commented: “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.”
Alpesh Mistry, sales director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said: “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 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.”
