In recent years, there have been a surge of “zero-sugar” food and beverage product launches, spanning carbonated drinks, beers, snacks and more, in the local market.
This trend is reportedly driven by the growing demand for healthier options, such as products with sugar-free or zero-calorie labels, among Korean consumers.
In response to the needs of consumers who are concerned about sugar intake, Brewguru has reformulated its hit product, Fresh Lemon Highball, to contain 79% less sugar.
Compared to the original version that has an ABV of 8.3%, the alcohol content in the new product, called Fresh Lemon Highball Lite, has been cut by more than half to 4.0%.
It is sold in 500ml cans and available at CU convenience stores across the country.
According to Brewguru, Fresh Lemon Highball, which debuted last April, is the first RTD highball product in Korea that puts fresh lemon slices in a can, instead of frozen or dried ones.
Due to the convenience of it being able to be consumed upon opening, without having to add in other highball ingredients, the drink has gained widespread popularity and has been extensively featured on social media.
It has surpassed 5m units in cumulative sales to date, and in July 2024, it had the highest sales among all products sold at CU, excluding cigarettes.
The company has recently begun exporting to countries including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia, and is targeting other overseas markets.
“Fresh Lemon Highball Lite maintains the refreshing flavour of fresh lemon slices, and is characterised by an invigorating and clean finish. We hope that more consumers, especially those looking to manage their sugar intake, will be satisfied with this newly introduced product,” the firm said.
Starting from January 2026, food and beverage firms in Korea are mandated to indicate portion size changes, and all products making claims such as “zero-sugar”, “sugar-free” and “unsweetened” will need to specifically highlight any sweetener usage and calorie content, on product labels.
These changes, announced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in August, are being implemented to create a safe food consumption environment and protect consumers’ rights to make informed decisions.
Birth of a new category
Brewguru has expanded its line-up from kombucha in 2017 to include various alcoholic beverages, such as beer, canned highballs, and seltzers, today.
Building on the success of the Fresh Lemon Highball, Brewguru released Fresh Lime Highball in August 2023, followed by Vodka Highball and Green Tangerine Mojito Highball.
The cumulative sales for this series of products have exceeded 15m cans.
Notably, the Fresh Lime Highball, made with thinly sliced lime, lime juice and vodka, was limited to 450,000 cans when it was first launched.
“The unique sour scent and bitter aftertaste of lime further enhance the refreshing and cool flavour. Limes are usually more expensive than lemons because their supply is lower, but CU decided to sell them at the same price as the Fresh Lemon Highball as a way to thank our customers.
“Ever since Fresh Lemon Highball gained popularity, copycat products have been appearing, creating a new category called fresh fruit RTD highballs. In future, CU will continue to lead liquor consumption trends,” said Jang Ju-hyeon, merchandiser of the Liquor Team at BGF Retail, which owns and operates the convenience store chain.
