John Styth Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia invented Coca-Cola in 1886. It was brewed in a brass pot in Pemberton’s backyard as a syrup of sorts.

Today, the company has a small yet growing portfolio of alcohol beverages. All were created with consumers in mind. The next addition is ready-to-drink Jack Daniel’s & Coca‑Cola, inspired by the iconic bar cocktail. The pre-mixed cocktail is planned to first be offered in Mexico in late 2022.

Earlier this month at a investor meet, Coca-Cola’s management had stated, “India is one of the bright spots that we have and continues to have accelerated growth. We are paying a lot of attention to the quality of growth rather than just the growth in the market. It’s important to build market that’s developing with potential to be a lot bigger in the future, with the right foundation capability in place.”

The Coca-Cola Company and Pernod Ricard today announced a global relationship to debut Absolut Vodka & Sprite as a ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktail in 2024.

“Sprite is a wonderful pairing for Absolut, and I’m convinced that our joining forces will bring the whole alcohol RTD category to the next level”

Absolut & Sprite will be made with Absolut, the international premium vodka, and Sprite, the world’s most popular lemon-lime sparkling soft drink. The pre-mixed cocktail will be available in versions with Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar, with the initial launch planned for select European countries in early 2024, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.

“We keep consumers at the center of everything we do as we continue to develop our portfolio as a total beverage company,” said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “We are expanding in the alcohol ready-to-drink space, including products that use select brands from our core portfolio. We are excited about our new relationship with Pernod Ricard and look forward to the introduction of Absolut & Sprite.”

“This very promising and pioneering project brings together two leading companies who are committed to offering their consumers new experiences around premium products,” said Alexandre Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard, a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry.

Vodka is one of the most popular bases for alcohol ready-to-drink products, and lemon-lime soft drinks are one of the most popular mixers in pre-mixed cocktails.

“Sprite is a wonderful pairing for Absolut, and I’m convinced that our joining forces will bring the whole alcohol RTD category to the next level,” Ricard said.

Absolut & Sprite ready-to-drink packaging will feature two of the world’s most recognizable global trademarks. Absolut was established in 1879 in Sweden. Since then, it has become a world-renowned premium vodka brand, crafted using the finest Swedish winter wheat. Sprite was established in 1959 in Germany and has grown to be one of the biggest brands in The Coca-Cola Company’s global portfolio.

Cans will include clear responsibility symbols stating that the drink is to be enjoyed only by consumers of legal drinking age. Absolut & Sprite ready-to-drink will adhere to responsible marketing practices.

The global benchmark for alcohol beverage volume (ABV) is 5% but will vary depending on the market.

Manolo Arroyo, global marketing chief, Coca-Cola, said, “Alcohol is a very big category and we have on purpose decided to experiment. We’re very clear about what kind of beverages consumers are demanding. I call it fuel for the body and the mind.”

The company stated that it’s strategically broadening its presence in the alcohol ready-to-drink category. In October, Coca-Cola and Pernod Ricard, a wine and spirits company, announced a collaboration to launch Absolut vodka and Sprite as a ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktail in 2024, starting with the UK, Netherlands, Spain and Germany.

The preparation and distribution of these beverages are done separately in dedicated and independent facilities in India which are different from the facilities that prepare and distribute its non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages,” the company said in a statement. For the test launch, Lemon-Dou has been launched at ₹230 for a 240-ml can in some States.

On its website, the company emphasises its commitment to responsibly and sustainably growing its brands in the alcohol ready-to-drink space, acknowledging the responsibilities that come with these products. The company has ventured into the alcohol market in specific global regions with products like Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and pre-mixed cocktails such as Schweppes and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola.

Jack Daniel’s & Coca‑Cola joins a portfolio of flavored alcohol beverages that uses company brands, including Lemon-Dou, which is currently available in Japan, China and the Philippines; Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, available in more than 20 markets; Schweppes Pre-Mixed Cocktails, currently available in Brazil; and the new Simply Spiked Lemonade and Fresca Mixed in the United States.

In the case of the United States, the company authorizes third parties to produce and sell alcohol beverages using company trademarks (Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Simply Spiked Lemonade and Fresca Mixed).

Coca‑Cola is well-known as the world’s leader in non-alcohol, ready-to-drink beverages. The company’s 200 master brands span from iconic sparkling beverages to water, sports drinks, teas, juices and coffee.

Whenever the company expands into new categories, it takes a disciplined and responsible approach, leveraging its scale to maximize impact and reach. In 2018, for example, Coca‑Cola boosted its global presence in coffee through the acquisition of Costa Coffee.

Coca‑Cola’s approach in alcohol focuses on three segments of flavored alcohol beverages, or FABs. All are ready-to-drink:

– Hard seltzers (Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer, Topo Chico Margarita Hard Seltzer)

– Hard alternatives (Lemon-Dou, Simply Spiked Lemonade)

– Pre-mixed cocktails (Jack Daniel’s & Coca‑Cola, Fresca Mixed, Schweppes Pre-mixed Cocktails)

At Coca‑Cola, Khalil Younes is responsible for leading FABs. “We are strategically experimenting and learning in alcohol,” Younes said. “We are excited about the opportunities, but we also know it will require effort and patience.”

The Coca‑Cola Company also recognizes that the entry in the alcohol category brings new responsibilities – ones it takes very seriously. The company will ensure any consumer who chooses to drink alcohol does so responsibly.

Coca‑Cola will work with industry partners and other stakeholders to promote moderate consumption and support efforts to reduce harm.

To that end, the company has developed a comprehensive Policy on Alcohol Responsibility based on industry best practices. To learn more about the company’s approach to the responsible marketing and sale of alcohol, see our policy here.

“Our ambition is to grow our brands in a responsible and sustainable way to those who choose to consume and are over the legal purchase and drinking age.” Younes said.

In October 2023, the company had launched Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola in the US.

The beverage major had first launched Lemon-Dou in 2018 in Japan, which marked its entry in the alcohol beverage market since the late-1970s (when Coca-Cola owned a winemaker in California).

As per the report, Lemon-Dou, also known as Chūhai, is a mix of Japanese shochu, a distilled liquor similar to brandy and vodka and lime. It is Coca-Cola’s first ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktail launched in Japan in 2018. Apart from Japan and India, Lemon-Dou is available in select countries like China and the Philippines.

“Lemon Sour” is now a regular alcoholic drink included in the menu of literally all drinking establishments in Japan. The combination of fresh, fruity citrus flavor and the crisp sizzling effect of carbonation matches well with any food.

“Lemon-dou” is Coca-Cola’s first lemon sour brand developed to respond to the growing demand of lemon sour lovers wanting to “enjoy the authentic taste of Lemon Sour not only in the drinking places but also at home”. “Lemon-dou” has various features designed to enhance the luxurious feel of enjoying this drink at home. One of them is the unique “pre-blending lemon process” adopted to manufacture this product.

“Lemon-dou” is manufactured through a unique “pre-blending lemon process”.

In “pre-blending lemon process”. a new approach derived from the technique of adding water to shochu beforehand to make the shochu and water blend well and make the drink taste smoother, fully grated lemons are dipped in liquor beforehand to gain the same effect as the pre-blended shochu-water mix.

Made from crushed whole lemons infused in alcohol and mixed with bubbles, Lemon-Dou ‘is a refreshing, full-bodied chu-hi alcoholic lemon drink’, the company claims. The alcohol content is 7%.

Coca-Cola India has forayed into the domestic alcohol market for the first time, introducing Lemon-Dou, its global alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage. The company has started pilot tests of Lemon-Dou in “a few states in India.”

There are many restrictions in alcoholic beverage and distribution is also different. With alcohol being a complex distribution and manufacturing business in India, Coca-Cola is expected to seed the product in the market only gradually. Besides, spirits is a highly regulated and heavily-taxed sector in India, with pricing controlled by individual States.

According to the company, the alcoholic drink is initially available in Goa and Maharashtra. It is priced at ₹150 in Goa and ₹230 in Maharashtra.

“Lemon-Dou is made from crushed whole lemons, infused in alcohol, mixed with bubbles – a refreshing, full-bodied chu-hi alcoholic lemon drink,” according to the company’s website.

A report by the International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI) stated that India’s alcoholic beverage market is estimated to reach USD 64 billion over the next five years, making India the fifth-largest contributor to global market revenues in the near to medium term. It said that the sector, which has an estimated market size of USD 52.4 billion in 2021, made up about 2 per cent of the nominal GDP of the country and is still a significant industry ( ₹3.9 lakh crore (US$47 billion), including country liquor).

The preparation and distribution of these beverages are done separately in dedicated and independent facilities in India which are different from the facilities that prepare and distribute its non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages,” the company said in a statement.

The company is conducting a trial for Lemon-Dou in a few states in India. Lemon-Dou is a mix of distilled liquor, similar to brandy or vodka, and lime.For the test launch, Lemon-Dou has been launched at ₹230 for a 240-ml can in some States.

Lemon-Dou is Coca-Cola’s first lemon sour brand developed to respond to the growing demand of lemon sour lovers wanting to “enjoy the authentic taste of Lemon Sour not only in the drinking places but also at home”, as mentioned on the official website.

Coca-Cola is an worldwide renowned company. A company that owns over 500 brands, across 200 countries.

Possessing a 42% market share in the global market share of the non-alcoholic beverage industry, Coca-Cola has dominated the beverage industry for over a century.

The strength of this global success lies in the local connections coke builds every day with its consumers. That, and the extremely successful combination of global distribution and powerful marketing.