Want to spend happy hour enjoying a Coke? Soon, in Japan, that will be a reality. Coca-Cola will be launching an alcoholic beverage in the Asian country. Chu-Hi, which is a popular drink there, “is made from a distilled beverage called shōchū, sparkling water and flavoring,” according to USA Today.
While the soft drink corporation doesn’t dabble much in alcohol, this isn’t the first time it has done so in its history. The initial concoction, created by founder John Pemberton, was a mix of wine and cocaine. He eventually swapped out the wine part (and the beverage contained cocaine until 1903). But in recent history, the Atlanta-based company has only marketed beverages that you don’t need an ID to purchase.
Coca-Cola routinely experiments with new, edgy product offerings in Japan, like Coca-Cola Plus, which contains fiber. According to Jorge Garduño, president of Coca-Cola’s Japan business unit, their branch “launches an average of 100 new products a year, and many times more are put to the test behind the scenes.”
As for this new take on Chu-Hi? It won’t be coming to a store near you in the United States. It also remains unclear when it will hit the shelves in Japan.
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