Lucozade and Ribena producer, Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I), has entered the RTD market with the GB launch of Japanese brand -196 (minus one-nine-six).
Available from April in 330ml cans, -196 rolls out in two flavours, Lemon and Grapefruit. Both are 6% ABV.
Since its launch by Suntory Holdings in Japan in 2005, -196 has been a well-established RTD brand in the country and continues to grow in popularity. After launches in Australia (2021) and China (2023), this year sees the brand expand into Great Britain, Germany, the US and Southeast Asia.
The -196 name refers to the process used to create the drink. This involves freezing the fruit used to create the flavour down to -196°C with liquid nitrogen, crushing it into powder and then mixing it with vodka.
Carol Robert, Chief Operating Officer at SBF 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.”
