If you couldn’t find Soju so appealing for its bitterness, good news for you! The newest trend of Korean alcoholic beverages is getting fruitier, sweeter, fizzier and lighter.
Last year, flavored Soju swept Korean market with its popularity based on female consumers. With yuzu, grapefruit, pineapple, and more fruit flavors added, bitter-sweet Sojus appealed to consumers in Korea.
As soon as the feverish popularity of Fruit Soju has cooled down a little, carbonated alcoholic drinks are emerging to take over the Korean alcoholic beverage market.
Last September, Bohae Brewery in Korea released Brother Soda, which is a carbonated alcoholic beverage with the flavor of popular milk-flavored sodas in Korea. Sold 5M of bottles in the first three months, Bohae Brewery released a series of Brother Sodas with added flavors like strawberry and apple.
Popularity of Brother Soda is dedicated partially to its low alcohol content. To maximize the harmony of alcohol, fizziness, and the flavor of soda, alcohol content of Brother Soda is lowered to 3%, which is significant when compared to that of regular Soju, which is 19%. This low content of alcohol appealed to consumers who seek for sweet, non-alcoholic-beverage-like drinks they can enjoy at all occasion.
Popularity of Brother Soda added a new genre to Korean alcoholic beverages. Couple of months ago, HiteJinro, the biggest alcoholic beverage manufacturer in South Korea, joined the trend by releasing a new sparkling alcoholic beverage, Iseul Tok Tok. As other manufacturers, too, prepare and release similar products, consumers are expecting a broadened range of choice for alcoholic beverages.
Original document available from www.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?page=21&branch=NEWS&source=&category=lifenleisure.general&art_id=4239979
Translated and edited by Heewon Kim
