Coca-Cola is set to introduce its first alcoholic ‘chu-hi’ drink in the Philippines.
The entry of Lemon-Dou in the country is seen as a response to the growing demand for lemon sour drinks and marks the first alcoholic beverage brand in the growing beverage portfolio of Coca-Cola in the Philippines.
Lemon-Dou, one of Japan’s growing chu-hi drinks, is now available in the Philippines in 3 different variants. The entry of Lemon-Dou in the country is seen as a response to the increasing demand for refreshing lemon alcoholic drinks.
Tony del Rosario, President of Coca-Cola Philippines said, “At Coca-Cola, we’ve always strived to deliver innovations that center around what our consumers want, while ensuring that we evolve our business responsibly and sustainably as well. We continue to be bullish on our business here in the Philippines amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic – and the launch of Lemon-Dou, our first alcoholic brand in the country, is a tangible proof of that commitment. We are confident that Lemon-Dou will help further accelerate the high-growth trajectory of flavored alcoholic drinks in the country.”
Inspired from the southern province of Kyushu, Japan – the birthplace of shochu over 500 years ago – Lemon-Dou was first introduced by Coca-Cola in Japan in 2018. After 2 years, the lemon-flavored alcoholic drink became one of Japan’s Nikkei Trendy Top 5 trends in 2020.
Martyn Ferguson, Marketing Director for Emerging Brands of Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific said, “Lemon-Dou uses a closely-guarded traditional recipe from Coca-Cola Japan. True to the Japanese philosophy of Kodawari, we’re very proud of how we have tapped into the strength of our global network to ensure that the quality of Lemon-Dou remains consistent when served to the Filipino legal age drinkers.”
Lemon-Dou is a play on “lemon,” the drink’s main ingredient, and the Japanese word “dou,” meaning house. Literally translated to “The House of Lemon,” Lemon-Dou uses crushed whole lemons, infused in alcohol and mixed with bubbles, which creates the great tasting, refreshing and full-bodied lemon-sour experience for the alcohol drinkers.
This Japanese-crafted chu-hi drink comes in 3 variants with varying alcohol contents namely Honey Lemon, which has a sweet taste and mild flavor with 3% alcohol level; Signature Lemon with the classic taste, bold lemon flavor and 5% alcohol level; and the Devil Lemon, a wickedly good taste with 9% alcohol content.
Globally, Coca-Cola adheres to a strict Global Responsible Marketing Policy to ensure that the company grows their alcohol brands such as Lemon-Dou, in a responsible and sustainable way. This policy includes championing responsible consumption and marketing that does not appeal to people under the legal purchase age (LPA).
Lemon-Dou is now available in major supermarkets nationwide which includes SM Hypermarket, Waltermart, Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, Landmark Supermarket, as well as convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, Mini Stop, Family Mart, and Lawson amongst others. Lemon-Dou can also be ordered online.
