可口可樂打破百年傳統 將推出首款酒精飲料
With its iconic red label and secret recipe, it’s been one of the world’s most famous soft drinks for more than a century. Now, however, Coca-Cola is on the brink of a new chapter – with plans to launch its first alcoholic drink.
一個多世紀以來，有着標誌性紅色標籤和祕密配方的可口可樂一直是世界上最著名的軟飲料之一。而今，可口可樂即將掀開一個新篇章——它計劃推出第一款酒精飲料。
The company is currently experimenting with the creation of a popular type of Japanese alcopop known as Chu-Hi, containing distilled shochu alcohol mixed with flavoured carbonate water.
可口可樂公司目前正在嘗試一種名爲Chu-Hi的日本波普甜酒，這種受歡迎的甜酒是將蒸餾燒酒和風味碳酸水混合而成。
The low alcohol canned drink will be launched in Japan, home to a thriving if competitive industry, with countless Chu-Hi flavoured drinks – from kiwi to yuzu - sitting on convenience store shelves across the country.
這種罐裝低酒精飲料將在日本推出。在產業興旺、競爭激烈的日本，有不計其數的Chu-Hi風味飲料，你可以在日本各地的便利店看到奇異果風味和柚子風味等各種口味的Chu-Hi飲料。
Confirming the plan in an interview on the company’s website, Jorge Garduño, Coca-Cola’s Japan president, said: “This is a canned drink that includes alcohol; traditionally, it is made with a distilled beverage called shochu and sparkling water, plus some flavouring. We haven’t experimented in the low alcohol category before, but it’s an example of how we continue to explore opportunities outside our core areas.”
可口可樂日本區總裁豪爾赫·加都諾在官網發佈的訪談中證實了這一計劃。他表示：“這是一種含有酒精的罐裝飲料；傳統上，這種飲料是用一種名爲燒酒的蒸餾飲料和蘇打水相混合，並添加調味料而製成。可口可樂過去沒有嘗試過低酒精飲料，但這是我們在覈心領域外持續探索商機的例證。”
Highlighting how “unique” this venture was for the company, Mr Garduño, who did not specify a timeline for the new product, added: “Coca-Cola has always focused entirely on non-alcoholic beverages, and this is a modest experiment for a specific slice of our market.
加都諾沒有明確告知新產品的發佈時間表，他強調了這次探索對可口可樂公司的“獨特意義”，他補充道：“可口可樂一直以來都專注於非酒精飲料，這次是我們對一塊特定市場的適度嘗試。”
“The Chu-Hi category is found almost exclusively in Japan. Globally, it’s not uncommon for non-alcoholic beverages to be sold in the same system as alcoholic beverages. It makes sense to give this a try in our market.”
“Chu-Hi幾乎只在日本能找到。全球範圍來看，非酒精飲料和酒精飲料同屬一個銷售系統並不罕見。所以有理由在我們的市場做一次嘗試。”
The concept of alcoholic Coca-Cola drinks, however, was likely to stay within Japan rather than expand globally, due to the “unique and special” qualities of the Japanese market, he added.
不過，由於日本市場的“獨特性”，可口可樂酒精飲料的概念可能只限於日本國內，不會擴展到全球。
Coca-Cola’s inaugural foray into the world of alcoholic beverages takes place more than 130 years after the original drink was first launched in the US, minus any alcohol in order to circumvent restrictive prohibition laws.
130多年前，可口可樂飲料在美國首次推出，後來進軍世界飲料市場，爲了避開嚴格的限制法規沒有添加任何酒精。
It coincides with shrinking global demand for soft fizzy drinks, due to health concerns relating to sugar consumption, with sports drinks and water emerging as Coca-Cola’s strongest performing beverages.
當下由於人們擔心攝入糖分引發健康問題，全球氣泡軟飲料的需求不斷萎縮，運動飲料和水正成爲可口可樂公司表現最出色的飲料。
Meanwhile, Japan’s alcopop market has grown expansively since the country’s first ready-to-drink Chu-Hi product for stores – called hiLicky - was reportedly released in 1983, with young women fuelling sales.
與此同時，自從日本在1983年推出了首款在商店銷售的即飲Chu-Hi產品hiLicky後，日本的波普甜酒市場正大幅擴張。據稱，推動Chu-Hi飲料銷量增長的主要是年輕女性。
