"MZ에게 소맥은 옛말"... CU Launches RTD Highball

No Separate Manufacturing Needed for Canned Beer Form

RTD Highball sold at CU. (Photo by BGF Retail)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] CU announced on the 22nd that it will launch the convenience store industry's first RTD highball on the 23rd.

The newly introduced RTD highball comes in two flavors: Lemon Tonic and Earl Grey. It is a collaborative product with Up Up, an emotional lifestyle brand famous for its bear character. The manufacturing is handled by the brewery startup Buruguru.

This product emphasizes a refreshing and tangy taste by adding lemon to the aroma of Scotch whisky, while the Earl Grey highball features a subtle and fragrant flavor with a golden ratio of whisky and black tea. Both products have an alcohol content of 9%.

The Up Up highball is in a canned beer form, so it can be enjoyed simply by adding ice without any separate preparation, offering convenience for drinking and consistently uniform taste. A discount of 11,100 KRW is applied when purchasing 3 cans, making the price 3,700 KRW per can.

Highballs have recently gained great popularity. According to CU, whisky sales from January to October this year increased by 137% compared to the previous year. Carbonated water sales rose by 23.2%, carbonated beverages by 19%, and Big Ball cup ice by 53.2%, all showing high growth rates.

A BGF Retail official said, “As home drinking culture has established itself as a lifestyle due to the impact of COVID-19 and rising prices, the number of consumers seeking various alcoholic beverages has noticeably increased.”