Kirin begins selling "shochu" distilled spirit - Marketplace - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, Nov 4, 2002

Kirin Brewery Co. has reported it will enter the "shochu" distilled liquor market, with the Nov. 7 launch of a new product called "Pure Blue."

Kirin projects sales of 800,000 cases of the new product in 2003, in a bid to catch up with Suntory Ltd. and Asahi Breweries Ltd. which have already moved into the product category. As Kim doesn't have production facilities for shochu liquor, it will consign production of the liquor base of "Pure Blue" to Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp., and Kim's unit in Japan will then complete the distilled liquor process in Japan.

Kirin will also start selling from Nov. 13 another type of liquor called "Kirin Hyoketsu 21 Straight." Sales are estimated at 250,000 cases in 2003.

Beer sales in Japan have been flat for an extended period, and brewers have been searching for new products, including low-malt beer and shochu.