Alcohol makers in Japan tap into U.S. ready-to-drink market
As the popularity of ready-to-drink products grows in the U.S., Japanese companies have introduced U.S. versions of such products in Japan.
In Japan, alcoholic beverage manufacturers are expanding their presence into the United States' burgeoning ready-to-drink (RTD) market. According to IWSR, the U.S. alcohol consumption has decreased by 1% annually from 2015 to 2025, with beer and wine experiencing significant drops. However, RTD products, including canned beverages like chūhai, have seen a 14% average yearly growth during the same period.
The rise of hard seltzers, a carbonated alcoholic beverage that is less sweet than other RTD options, has been a major driver of this trend. These products now account for 8% of all alcohol servings in the U.S., up from 2% in 2015, and the market size reached $22 billion last year.
Japanese companies have seized this opportunity, introducing U.S. versions of popular RTD products. Suntory Holdings launched its -196 Vodka Seltzer series in some U.S. states in 2023, with nationwide availability in 2025. Asahi Group Holdings released Zeitaku Shibori products tailored to the U.S. market in December, while Kirin Holdings began selling Hyoketsu products in March.
Despite RTD products holding a small share of the U.S. market currently, Japanese makers are optimistic about the potential of these products, as alcohol consumption in Japan continues to decline. However, IWSR's Marten Lodewijks cautioned that fierce competition exists within the RTD market, and only a few brands have achieved success.
He added that Japanese beverage companies have "done very well" by connecting their RTD products with Japanese food but noted that they haven't fully capitalized on representing Japanese culture as a whole, including movies and music.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
