Tokyo — Coca-Cola launched its first ever alcoholic drink on Monday in Japan — a fizzy, lemon-flavoured concoction laced with spirits that seeks to capitalise on the growing popularity of "chuhai" alcopops enjoyed especially by young women. Although the US group dabbled in the wine business in the 1970s, the experiment in Japan was "unique" in the company’s 125-year history, said Coca-Cola Japan president Jorge Garduno. From Monday, three new Lemon-Do drinks — containing 3%, 5% and 7% alcohol — will be available in the southern Kyushu region of Japan. A 350ml can will set you back ¥150 ($1.40). "This is a pilot project in the region, which has a sizable market," Masaki Iida, spokesman for Coca-Cola’s Japanese unit, told AFP. He declined to reveal the exact spirit in the drink, as the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Coca-Cola product developers got the idea after visiting Japanese-style "izakaya" pubs, where they discovered that lemon-flavoured drinks are very popular, according ...
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