Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

Oh, boy! Hite launches a new low alcohol healthy beer aimed at the young crowd that likes weak beers.

Cass Red, the 6.9% beer is for oldies who like strong beer.

I guess I'm old.


https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/06/19/200706190048.asp

Hite Co. introduced the country`s first beer with fiber yesterday to offer consumers a more "healthy" option amid the ongoing "well-being" trend, the company said.
The new premium Exfeel S has a lower alcohol content of 4 percent compared to the standard 4.5 percent, and offers a small dosage of fiber. The fiber version is a renewal of its former premium brand Exfeel, with the "S" encompassing properties of an S-line, being stylish and smooth, the company said.

"With our society growing more health conscious, more and more consumers, especially the younger demographic, are responding well to lower alcohol drinks, while the added health effect offers an added bonus," Lee Hyun-jung, a spokeswoman for Hite Co. told The Korea Herald.

Both beer and soju, a Korean traditional white spirit, have undergone a price war to revive sluggish sales. More choices of alternative alcohol products - from wine to wine coolers - have been weighing down on beer makers` profits.

The race to gain market share by introducing larger portions at the same price or launching products with lower alcohol content has intensified competition among breweries and liquor companies.




Hite, Korea`s largest brewery, is the country`s first beer maker to launch beer with fiber. Other countries, such as Japan, already offer such a product. Exfeel S, as a premium brand, will be priced slightly higher than Hite`s regular beers, such as Max and its flagship brand Hite.

Industry experts expect Hite`s latest product to help respond to an expected boost in demand for beer this year.

Oriental Brewery Co., the country`s second-largest beer maker, said it expects beer sales to grow almost 10 percent this year compared to a year ago, thanks to a forecast for hotter temperatures this summer.

OB said Exfeel S does not pose as a threat to its brand because it launched a so-called "functional" beer earlier than its rival.

"We don`t see Exfeel S as a threat, because we introduced a low-alcohol beer, which also contains half the carbohydrates, ahead of our competitor," Chung Yong-jin, the OB spokesman, said in a telephone interview. "So you could say we are ahead of the game in providing functional beer."

OB launched Cass Ice Light with a reduced alcohol content of 4.2 percent in September 2006. The company said the product is targeted at a group of consumers who had been keeping their distance from existing beers. It had hoped to bring the fizz back to a somewhat diluted ale market.

Lee of Hite said the Exfeel S is aimed at younger consumers who seek more affordable yet quality alcoholic beverages.

A boom in wine sales involves the more mature age group with a relatively higher and steady source of income, such as those in their 40s and 50s, Chung said. He added that beer will always be popular among the younger age group, since they have less spending power.

Despite the divergence from the trend of lowering alcohol content, in March OB introduced the "Cass Red" brand, a beer with an alcohol level of 6.9 percent. The company said the product is aimed at meeting the diverse needs of consumers, especially the older group who prefer stronger beer.


By Yoo Soh-jung

[Saxiif]

So the problem with Korean beer is that is has too much flavor? Hmmmmmmmmm

[Bramble]

[Alyallen]

[pdxsteve]

[Treefarmer]

i don't touch korean beer, it's worth the extra 5000 or whatever to get a few cans of asahi or heineken

[butlerian]

[Zoobot]

I don't like Heinekin. I actually prefer Hite to it. Asahi is good though...

[Treefarmer]

i wouldn't drink asahi or heineken at home if i had the choice, but in family mart it's them or korean shit, and they are much much nicer imo

[Dev]

[YoshaMazov]

Am I the only one surprised to find out OB produces Cass?

[Doogie]

All I know is that Korea is the vomit capital of the world. I live in an area where there are a lot of bars. I swear, it's like dodging a minefield of puke getting to the bus-stop most mornings. I don't know if these 20-somethings are drinking beer or soju but, whatever it is, they certainly can't handle it.

[butlerian]

[YoshaMazov]

Well OK, then.

[Bibbitybop]