RTD Showdown: Companies Compete to Create the Supreme Chuhai and Highball
Latest Business Report [Part 1
What comes after the “Strong Boom”?
The long-running “Strong Boom” is coming to an end. In ’24, the decisions made by Asahi Beer and Sapporo Beer shook the beverage industry.
“They decided one after another not to release new ‘strong’ canned chuhai (alcohol content 8% or higher). In addition, major beverage makers such as Suntory and Kirin Beer have reduced their strong-lineup. There are two main reasons for this.
One is the spread of ‘Smart Drinking,’ proposed by Asahi Beer in ’20. This term refers to choosing alcohol content or type (including non-alcoholic or low-alcohol) according to one’s body or situation. As this became widely known, more health-conscious young people began preferring low-alcohol or sugar-free options. Also, in ’21, the government advised companies to indicate the pure alcohol amount on containers, making consumers more conscious of alcohol intake. This accelerated the RTD industry’s move away from strong drinks” (industry newspaper reporter).
RTD stands for “Ready To Drink,” referring to alcoholic beverages other than beer, such as canned chuhai, canned cocktails, and canned highballs that can be consumed immediately upon opening. “Strong Uncle,” a canned chuhai researcher who drinks over 1,000 RTDs per year, also declared the end of the boom.
“For middle-aged people like me, drinking several strong drinks a day is difficult. A plain sour with moderate body and not too sweet feels just right. ‘Strong Uncle’ is gradually becoming ‘Plain Uncle’.”
The company that most sensitively and skillfully captured this trend and executed a brand transformation is Suntory, the domestic RTD sales champion.
“In January ’24, they dropped the ‘℃’ from the ‘-196℃’ brand, renaming it ‘-196.’ ‘-196℃’ is synonymous with ‘-196℃ Strong Zero’ (nicknamed ‘Stozero’), instantly evoking strong drinks. The renaming was to dispel that image.
In ’24, they launched the new ‘-196 Sugar-Free’ and the renewed ‘-196 Strong Zero,’ and in ’25, they expanded the plain sour ‘-196’ series. ‘-196’ quickly sold over 20 million cans, the fastest among all RTDs Suntory has released in the past 20 years” (ibid.).
Suntory also holds the top spots in other categories: plain sour with “Kodawari Sakaba Tako High,” highball with “Kaku Highball,” gin soda with “Midori Gin Soda,” and low-alcohol chuhai with “Horoyoi.”
Rival companies are now seeking a new ultimate drink to challenge Suntory’s dominance.
Kirin, ranked second in the industry and leading in the growing sugar-free segment, is pursuing the champion.
“Kirin’s strength lies in ‘Hyoketsu,’ the number-one chuhai brand. By combining this with growing health consciousness, their ’20 release of ‘Hyoketsu Sugar-Free’ made a big impact. However, it is now being closely pursued by Suntory’s ‘-196 Sugar-Free.’
‘Hyoketsu Sugar-Free’ adds about one new flavor per year, with several limited editions. In contrast, ‘-196 Sugar-Free’ launched over 10 flavors—including limited editions—in less than a year. Kirin’s ‘Gin Soda Mori no Ka’ and ‘Hanayoi,’ released to compete with Suntory’s ‘Midori Gin Soda’ and ‘Horoyoi,’ were unsuccessful” (ibid.).
From the January 30/February 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”