Kirin Brewery Co. will launch its "chuhai" canned cocktails in Shanghai in mid-June, hoping to establish itself as a brand to be reckoned with in the rapidly growing but fiercely competitive market, company officials said Wednesday.
The major brewery said its strategy is based on the fact that canned cocktail drinks are almost nonexistent in China. It will market the popular Japanese product to the city's high-income working women.
A 350-ml can of Hyoketsu, which will be marketed locally as Bing-Jie, will be sold for 5.5 yuan. The vodka-based cocktail will come in three flavors -- lemon, grapefruit and green apple.
The company said it plans to sell 200,000 24-can cases this year. In contrast, domestic sales of Hyoketsu this year are projected at 40 million cases, up 11 percent from last year.
Lured by the massive potential of the Chinese market, the world's major breweries are locked in a fierce war in the economic hub of Shanghai. However, Kirin-brand beer has yet to enjoy wide recognition there, officials say.
"(Shanghai) is a very tough market. We might have to even pull out in the worst-case scenario," Hitoshi Oshima, head of Kirin's overseas operations, told a news conference.