Choo Sung-hoon Directly Involved in Development
Rice Saccharified Base... Highball with a Champagne-like Experience
Aki Sake (Junmai Daiginjo) Pre-orders Begin on August 11
GS25, the convenience store chain operated by GS Retail, announced on August 12 that it will launch two varieties of the "Aki Sparkling Highball" (Yuzu and Ume) on August 13. The product has gained popularity as the highball associated with mixed martial artist Choo Sung-hoon.
The Aki Sparkling Highball is the flagship product of the sake brand "Aki (AKI)," which garnered attention because Choo Sung-hoon was directly involved in every stage, from product planning and recipe development to tasting and label design. It comes in two flavors, Yuzu and Ume (Plum), and is a low-alcohol beverage with an alcohol content of 4%. Based on rice saccharified liquid, it features strong carbonation and enhanced fruit flavors, allowing consumers to enjoy it in a champagne-like style.
Recently at GS25, mixology products using new types of alcohol beyond traditional whiskey-based highballs have been gaining significant popularity. The Sauvignon Lemon Blanc Highball, launched last month, is a wine-based product that attracted considerable attention, with Chef Ahn Sung-jae personally participating in taste evaluation and modeling. It currently holds the top spot in sales.
With the launch of these products, GS25 will also conduct pre-orders for "Aki Sake (Junmai Daiginjo)" through the "Our Neighborhood GS" app. The first round of pre-orders, held from August 1 to 5, sold out all 1,000 units prepared. The second round of pre-orders, limited to 500 units, will run from August 11 to 15.
GS25 plans to lead the alcoholic beverage market by offering a differentiated premium lineup and high-value highballs. The GS25 highball category has seen rapid expansion, recording year-on-year growth rates of 376.7% in 2024 and 81.0% in the first half of 2025, both well into the double digits.
Yoon Jiho, MD of the Liquor Team at GS Retail, stated, "The presence of highballs in the alcoholic beverage market is growing rapidly," and added, "We will continue to strengthen our unique competitive edge in the market by offering a diverse range of highball products tailored to consumer preferences."
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