Shipments of sake and craft beer to restaurants fell due to the corona sickness, and while the local cuisine restaurants we are developing were hit hard with less than 50% compared to last year, we found a way out in new product development and craft cola “Koharu” “Coke” has been released.
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What is craft cola "Koharu cola"?
As the name suggests, it is a local cola (sparkling drink). Craft Cola “Koharu Cola” is a locally produced beverage with handmade craftsmanship brewed by our company.
Development history of craft cola
Since 2009, after the earthquake, we have been conducting research on making beer using locally produced malt under our local beer brand “Iwate Kura Beer”. In the process, I was actually researching local cola by applying beer brewing technology in 2010 to develop soft drinks.
Product development was completed to some extent, and it was well received at exhibitions, etc., but from the middle of the development of cola, local beer, which is an existing product, has a craft beer boom, and beer brewing (production of existing products) is full. It was temporarily suspended.
In 2020, the coronavirus issued a state of emergency, and shipments to restaurants nationwide stopped, leaving the factory with extra capacity. In particular, the demand for alcohol in restaurants at night has decreased, and we have entered a difficult time. Due to the time and spare capacity of the factory, product development was resumed around April 2020, and “Koharu Coke” was completed.
By brewing not only alcohol but also non-alcoholic drinks, we will protect the family business by acquiring new sales channels as well as beer bars and taverns.
Features of "Koharu Coke"
Koharu Cola is a sparkling beverage brewed using only natural ingredients and no sugar.
The main ingredient of Koharu Cola is “Koharu Nijo Barley” grown locally. Koharu Nijo Barley is saccharified to give it a sweet taste. This goes along with the process of brewing beer and making starch syrup.
In addition, various spices are used for Koharu cola, such as nutmeg, coriander, and ginger, which also utilize beer brewing techniques.
The result is a sparkling beverage that uses only natural ingredients, without any sugar or flavors.
It is a product that can be provided with peace of mind to children who were not targeted by long-established liquor stores.
"Koharu Coke" design
The design of Koharu Coke is based on the image of Kokeshi dolls in order to become a local cola that represents the Tohoku region. There is only one flavor, but there are 6 types of kokeshi doll faces and 6 types of the same label, so there are 36 combinations.
It’s a time of corona and stress, but I chose this design because I want it to be a drink that is relieved not only in taste but also in appearance.
Before the sale, we won the "Special Backorder Award" at the 7th New Tohoku Souvenir Contest!
The “New Tohoku Souvenir Contest” is a contest to support product promotion and market development for buyers and consumers. This time, the 7th time, we received the largest number of applications for 273 products in history.
Among them, 54 award-winning products were selected by the screening, and “Koharu Coke” received the “Special Order Award” from among them, and it is attracting attention from all sides.
＞New Tohoku Souvenir Contest Online Exhibition
Koharu Coke Sales Strategy
It will be sold online at its own company, supermarkets for natural foods, home delivery companies, organic cafes, interior shops, etc. In addition, we are planning to sell it in places where we can sell non-alcoholic drinks, such as highway service areas and roadside stations, which we could not associate with.
Koharu Coke
| Capacity: |
330ml |
| Price: |
450 yen (excluding tax) / 495 yen (tax included) |
| Ingredients: |
Malt, apple juice, lemon juice, coriander, nutmeg, ginger |
| How to save: |
Store at room temperature |
| Best-by date: |
6 months |
| Manufacturing company: |
Seiki no Ichishuzo Co., Ltd. (5-42 Tamura-cho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture 021-0885) |
| TEL: |
0191-21-1144 |
＞Sales site
＞World Happy Ichishu Brewery Homepage
